


Dangan Ronpa: Again

by Rigze



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Multi, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-05 12:31:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 123,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11578137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rigze/pseuds/Rigze
Summary: "It was supposed to be over. We caught her, we opened the door!" It wasn't until he got to the main hall that he realized that it was happening again, and that only he and a certain heir remembered anything. Can this unlikely pair manage to change the future? Or are some things set in stone? Rated for violence, mature themes, and language. Various parings.





	1. Chapter 1

A/N: The real purpose of this "prologue" is to kinda remind people of what was happening as they were leaving. Not entirely necessary for the story, but I think it deserved a place on here anyway. Feel free to go directly to chapter one!

Prologue:

The six of us stood at the very spot where we and nine others did at the beginning of our ordeal. It seems like ages ago, now that I think of it. We all went through so much to get where we stand.

The crippling feelings created from watching our friends die.

The horrible realization that two years of our lives together had been ripped away.

The terrible truth of what is known as "The Tragedy."

The despair.

Everything we went through was for the sake of despair; to take those who represented hope and crush them in all consuming despair. That was her goal.

But we beat her. Our hopes overwhelmed the despair she had tried so hard to bring down upon us. Though we understand that we may have been safer staying in her world of despair, our hopes compel us to venture out into the world. A world we know nothing of.

And so here we stand, looking at the large metal door. In my hand is the device Junko dropped before her death. The key to our freedom.

Hina says she's gonna look for the nearest donut shop; her one track mind is more than enough to make me crack a smile.

Hiro offers to give us all a reading sometime, should we meet again. With his 30% accuracy rate, I feel like I'd feel safer without one.

Byakuya says he's going to rebuild the Togami family until it's even stronger than before. He then says he might listen to us if we ever need anything, and may even help if he's not terribly busy. How very like him.

Toko says she'll write about her ordeal and her white knight Byakuya… and the rest of us too, she adds as an afterthought. I can only shake my head at this.

Finally, Kyoko speaks up. She says that even though this world is filled with despair, she's looking forward to face whatever comes up as long as it's with someone like me. I smile at her, and I can't help but think the same.

Without any other words to be said, we all turn back to the door. I glance back for one last look at our school, and with my head held high, push the button to what is supposed to be our future filled with hope.

And then everything goes black.


	2. Despair Reset!

Makoto's P.o.V:

The first thing that hits me when I regain consciousness is _pain_. It's a dull pain… but it's all over my body, and when I try to get up... it flares in the worst kind of way. I force an eye open to try and see where I am, but all I'm met with is darkness. It takes me a little longer than I'd like to admit to realize I'm face down, and I'm… sitting. Am I sitting at a table or something?

" _God, what happened?"_ I internally question, pushing past the fog in my head. _"We… we were about to leave right? We'd just seen Junko execute herself… and she dropped the switch for the door right before she had."_ I take a breath. _"Right, we were definitely about to leave… so where on earth am I? I don't remember anything after I pushed the button…"_

I shift a little and my nose squishes against whatever my head is resting on. It's uncomfortable, so I ignore my body's screaming and force myself off the table and to a sitting position. It takes a little bit for my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness, but when I finally am able to see where I am… I can't help but feel confused.

It's a _classroom_.

A classroom on the first floor of Hope's Peak Academy.

" _What's… going on?"_ I wonder. _"If I really did pass out… wouldn't they have taken me to the infirmary?"_ I shake my head and take a deep breath to calm myself. _"No no, they probably had a reason for doing it… I need to have a little more faith in them after all this."_

My legs let out loud cracks of protest as I gingerly stand from my seat. Looking around the room… I come to the conclusion that I'm definitely in classroom 1-A of Hope's Peak Academy. I look at the clock next; it's nearly eight in the morning.

" _Have I really been out cold that long?"_ I muse. _"It was probably around midday when we were leaving..."_ I glance down at the desk I was just passed out in. There's a clearly defined puddle of drool next to a crudely-drawn brochure.

"Oh, this is…" I open it up, and I feel my brows knit in confusion. _"It's the same pamphlet I woke up next to a few weeks ago…"_ I stare at it for a moment or two before I use it to wipe up the drool. _"At least it's good for something! I can't believe I never actually threw this thing away."_

Deciding to ignore my pain like a real man, I toss the drenched brochure into the trash. _"I need to find everyone before I do anything else. I can't help but feel uneasy…"_

"Uneasy?" I think out loud as I slowly walk down the hall. Thinking about it… they would have at least waited around for me to wake up right? _"At the very least Kyoko would have…"_ I feel a knot form in my stomach. _"…Maybe I should hurry to the main hall."_

I stalk down the hall as quickly as my achy legs will allow. _"That probably where they're waiting right? In front of that wide open door…"_ A door that will still be wide open…

Right?

I screech to a halt in front of the double doors leading to the entrance of the school. Without even realizing it I had broken into a full-blown sprint; I pause for only a moment to catch my breath before I shove the doors open with as much force as I can muster. They swing open with ease, and what I see before me… couldn't possibly be real.

The five people I was looking for are here… along with nine other people.

Nine people who _died_.

My heart jumps to my throat as fourteen familiar faces stare at me. I can't think, I can't _breathe_ , because there's absolutely no way for this to be possible. It must be a dream; it _has_ to be a dream!

But reality hits me like a steel train when Hiro approaches me and smacks me on the shoulder with a laugh. "Woah, dude, you're acting like ya saw a ghost! Something troubling you?"

"Of course something is troubling him y-you miserable slob!" Toko yells from the corner of the room. Just as I think she's going to say something that makes sense, she lets out a loud groan and tugs at her braids. "He probably just woke up in a random room like the rest of us! Only pea-brained idiots _wouldn't_ be on-edge!"

"Awh, I told you guys that it's probably just a prank! Anyway, there's no need to get up on your haunches…" He looks to me expectantly, like he _doesn't_ know my name… and he's _calm_.

This isn't good.

"…M-Makoto Naegi." I manage through my stupor.

"Makoto then!" He grins with a nod. "Nice name, I'm-!"

"Never mind that for now!" A suddenly very alive Taka yells. He approaches me and stops just short of where I'm standing, so close that I can feel that he's warm in a way that only someone who's still living can be. "It can wait! Makoto, how could you possibly allow yourself to show up so late!? We were supposed to be here at eight in the morning sharp!" His voice rings true through the mostly quiet hall, making this situation all the more surreal. "It's only our first day, yet you're already committing unspeakable acts… I _will_ report this, and punishment-!"

"What is your _problem_?" I look toward the new voice, towards the girl I know the absolute least about. Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier… though she's currently masquerading as her younger sister Junko. The resemblance really is uncanny, but… her voice is a little mellower, and her eyes are more of a grey color. "Are you seriously blaming him right now?"

They proceed to argue over my tardiness, and I can only numbly scan the crowd of people in front of me. This situation is completely impossible, yet… it feels like it's way too real to be a dream.

" _It was supposed to be over!"_ I think, trying my hardest not to let my panic show on my face. _"We caught her, we opened the door! So…"_ I look over to Taka as he debates hotly with Jun- Mukuro. _"So how in god's name is this possible!? Not only are our dead friends alive and walking around, but everyone seems to be acting the exact same as when we "met" a few weeks ago! It's like…"_

"Boo!" Hina yells, waving off the argument. "C'mon, what kind of first impressions are we making here guys? Let's introduce ourselves properly to our new friend!"

Part of me wants to yell out that I _do_ already know all of them; that they already know me! The horrifying reality of this situation though is that I _can't_. If my feeling is right, and this really isn't a dream… then saying anything about what I know would make me suspicious.

I bite the inside of my cheek and let out a quiet sigh of resignation. Until I know what's going on, I have no other choice but to play along as if I'm completely ignorant to our situation.

* * *

Reintroducing myself to my friends was interesting to say the least. There were a few times that I had to bite my tongue, like when Mukuro introduced herself as her sister, or when the overly-calm Hiro began his introduction.

As I walk away from the clairvoyant, I let out a mute sigh. _"Seeing him act so off-edge was way more than enough to put me **on** the edge he used to call home."_ I quietly scan the room; I only have one introduction left to make…

And I just know it's going to be my least favorite by far.

After a moment my eyes come to rest on the very guy I was looking for: Byakuya Togami. He's standing off to the side with his trademark scowl in place, looking every ounce of irritated that he had been through most of the ordeal.

Withholding my thousandth sigh, I approach the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy. "Hi…" I start, forcing a smile on my face. "I'm Makoto Naegi."

He actually looks right at me, much to my surprise. "I am Byakuya Togami." He then glances off to the side. "It's very nice to _meet_ you."

My heart skips a beat. He just put emphasis on the word meet...! He did, I just know it! Not to mention the fact that he didn't dismiss me completely, so maybe-!

"It's nice to _meet_ you as well!" I say, trying and failing to contain my excitement. His mouth twitches slightly, but his face doesn't betray anything else akin to surprise. My excitement dies down a little. _"Maybe I read that wrong?"_

He lets out an inaudible sigh as he turns away slightly. "Now that our introductions are complete, maybe we should move on to something that actually matters? We have more pressing issue right now than making friends."

"I agree!" Taka affirms, furrowing his impressive brows in thought. "Not only did we all lose consciousness upon entering the school, but there are iron plates covering all the windows! Not only that…" He glances backward. "But there's a large metal gate where the entrance is, which definitely was not here when I arrived! Why? What's happened here?!"

While they all start discussing possibilities, I can't help but let my mind wander. _"It's pretty ironic now that I think about it… we were the ones who put all this stuff here."_ I glance across the room to Mukuro. _"Though… they definitely added some things for themselves."_

I turn my attention up to Byakuya, who is listening to our classmates with complete indifference. _"..Is it possible that he really remembers? I'd like to have some sort of confirmation that I'm not insane, but… I'm worried that my mind was playing tricks on me. Maybe I should-"_

I'm snapped out of my thoughts as the school's speaker crackles to life. "Mic check! Testing testing, one two! This is a check of the school broadcasting system! Am I on? Can everyone hear me? O-kay then!"

My breath catches in my throat at the disgustingly familiar voice. _"Monokuma…!"_

"To all of the incoming students, I'd like to begin the entrance ceremony at… right now!" He giggles. "Please make your way to the gym at your earliest convenience. That's all… I'll be waiting!"

As the intercom clicks off, there's a brief debate on what to do before everyone decides to head to the gym. Just as I'm about to head out the door myself, a hand catches my shoulder.

"We're going to the bath house later." Byakuya whispers right next to my ear. He must be bent over slightly, because he wouldn't be able to do that if he wasn't. "We'll force our way in if need be, but you and I need to have a little discussion."

Without even waiting for my reply, he straightens himself back up and walks past me. Knowing no one else is around, I let a grin break out on my face from the excitement I feel in my stomach. I may not be completely alone in this after all!

* * *

"Hey, Makoto!"

I'm caught off-guard by the voice that greets me as I enter the trophy room… it's Sayaka. Even though I'd spoken to her just moments ago, she seems eager to talk to me again.

"H-Hey Sayaka…" I manage. Despite being able to make it through my introduction to her, I feel absolutely strange talking to the very person who'd planned to pin a murder on me. "What do you need?"

"Oh, I just wanted to ask you a quick question!" She chirps, thankfully not noticing my discomfort. "Did you happen to go to Blackwood Junior High?"

I nod a little. "Yeah… why?"

"Oh, I just knew it!" She beams at me. "I went there too! Even though we didn't really talk, I knew I recognized you!" She blushes a little. "To be honest… I'm really relieved! It's good to have a friend mixed in with all these strangers!"

As she rambles on, I feel my heart melt a little. _"Really… she hasn't even thought to murder anyone yet. I shouldn't hold her to something that she's not aware of. That wouldn't be fair of me-"_

"Oh no!" She says. "I'm holding up the entrance ceremony! We'll talk more later on, okay Makoto?"

I nod a little as she turns away with a flourish and heads into the gym. I follow suit, stopping right next to the very girl I was just talking to. She pokes me in the side. "Makoto is such a slowpoke!" I flush a little at her friendly jab and she giggles.

I turn a little to scan the room. " _Everyone's here now it seems."_ I think, nodding to myself. I think I see Byakuya glaring from behind me, but I don't pay it much attention, because just as I see it…

"Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here now? Good! Then let's get this thing rolling!"

_He_ shows up.

"E-Eh?" Chihiro manages. "A teddy bear?"

"I am _not_ a teddy bear!" Monokuma shouts in indignation. "I am Monokuma! I'm this school's headmaster! Nice to meet you all!"

"Say _what!?_ " Hifumi screams. "The teddy bear talked!"

"I told ya already, I'm not a teddy bear!" He crosses his arms like a petulant child. "I'm Monokuma, your headmaster!"

" _Wah!"_ Hifumi wails. "It moved!"

"Dude!" Mondo clips, irritation clear in his voice. "It's prolly just a remote control toy or somethin', seriously."

"How rude!" Monokuma says, feigning hurt. "I'll have you know my system is so complex that even _NASA_ wouldn't be able to figure me out!" He giggles and puts his paws to his cheeks. "But oh, don't make me say anything more! I couldn't possibly _bear_ to hurt anyone's feelings!"

I let out a snort. "Nice pun…"

"Thank you!" He says, taking a bow. "Now then, quiet down so we can move on…" He mock clears his throat. "Everyone stand at attention and bow! Good morning!"

Not one soul aside from Taka returns the gesture.

"Okay! Let us commence this most memorable and noteworthy entrance ceremony!" I have to suppress a grimace at the irony; memorable indeed.

"Now, you students who represent the hope of the world, have so much potential! As such, in order to cultivate that potential, you are all to live a communal life inside the confines of this school!" He giggles again. "Ah, and as for the end date of your communal life… there isn't one! You'll all be here till the day you die!" There is a small beat of silence before everyone erupts into panic, as expected. "Ah, but don't worry! We have a huge budget, so you'll have everything and anything you could ask for!"

After a few fevered objections from my fellow classmates, Monokuma looks absolutely crestfallen. "Oh come now! We haven't even finished the entrance ceremony and you already want to leave! Oh, but you know…" He puts a paw to his chin. "There is that nifty graduation clause I forgot to tell you about!"

I brace myself. Here comes the bomb.

"See, in order for one of you to graduate… all you have to do is kill someone! Simple huh?"

"Are you insane!?" Hina yells, horrified. "We can't kill anyone, that's just…! Just…!"

"Insane?" Monokuma offers. "Nonsense! People kill other people all the time! There is absolutely _nothing_ insane about it…."

As people continue to offer up more protest, I can't help but feel sad that Monokuma… Junko, was absolutely right about people's capacity to commit murder. Sayaka, Leon, Mondo, Hifumi, Celes… they all crossed that line. Some more willingly than others of course, but because of what I know…

I have no doubt in my mind that every single person in this room has the capacity to kill someone else.

I'm ripped out of my thoughts when I catch a flurry of movement out of the corner of my eye. Mondo has stomped a few steps closer to the robotic teddy bear. "Listen asshole, this has gone too damn far! What kind of sick joke is this!?"

"Sick joke?" Monokuma tilts his head to the side. "You mean like your hair?"

Ah shit.

There's an audible snap. " _Fuuu-!_ " He launches himself toward Monokuma and sinks his fingers into his face, suspending the psycho-controlled robot in the air. "Gotcha, you little piece of shit!" His face is contorted in absolute anger, complete with a red face and a vein bulging out of his neck. "I dunno if you're a stuffed toy or whatever the hell, but either way I'm gonna rip ya to fucking shreds!"

"Wa-wait!" He protests, voice muffled by Mondo's huge hand. "V-Violence towards the headmaster is against school rules!" He starts wildly flailing his tiny limbs in protest, but to no avail.

"Shut the fuck up!" Mondo spits. "You let us all out of here, or I swear to god I'll-!" He cuts himself off when Monokuma stops squirming… and starts beeping.

Ah _shit!_

Mondo lets out a growl of irritation. "What, no comebacks!? Stop that fucking beeping and _say_ something you piece of shit!" Just as Mondo looks ready to make good on his threat to tear the bear up, I realize something.

Kyoko isn't saying anything.

" _K-Kyoko!?"_ I whip my head over to my future lavender-haired best friend, but she's making no move to say anything, instead standing there with a troubled look on her face. _"C'mon, say_ _ **something**_ _! You know it's a bomb… right!?"_ It takes me a few more seconds to realize that she isn't going to do anything, so I whip my body around to Mondo.

"Mondo!" I yell. "Hurry up and get rid of that thing!"

"Hah?!" He grunts.

The beeping suddenly speeds up, and I feel terror building in my gut. "Just do it!"

Thankfully he senses the urgency in my voice, and he hurls the robot high into the air… just in time as well. Not seconds after Monokuma became airborne, the robot in question explodes with such force that nothing is left of him.

Mondo falls to the ground, completely dumbstruck. "That thing sure as shit just blew up…! That definitely wasn't a joke…"

I let out a huge sigh of relief; thank god he didn't get hurt. _"What was that though?_ " I wonder, looking over to the detective. _"She definitely warned him about the bomb before, so why didn't she do it this time? I know for a fact she wouldn't just let someone die like that, so why…?"_

Chihiro speaks up, wringing his skirt in his hands. "B-But wait, the teddy bear's been destroyed right? If so-"

"I _told_ you," Monokuma says, popping up from behind the podium. "I'm not a teddy bear! I'm Monokuma!" I jump at his sudden re-appearance before I calm down when I remember about his many body doubles.

"You son of a bitch!" Mondo yells, voice wavering slightly. "You fucking just tried to kill me!"

"Well _duh_ , of course I did! You violated one of the school rules after all! I'll let you off with a warning this time, but you better be more careful from now on!" He shakes his head and wags a claw at us. "Naughty boys and girls who violate my rules don't get off with a swat on the butt ya know!"

" _He absolutely isn't lying about that…"_ I think with a grimace. _"Junko was so serious about her own rules last time that she murdered her own sister after she broke the rules… on her instruction no less!"_ I glance over to the pseudo-blonde, whose currently staring at the e-Handbook she just received with feigned disgust. _"That does raise the question as to how I'm going to keep her from being killed though… since she's following her sister's orders and all."_ I stop my train of thought to a halt as my own e-Handbook is shoved into my hands.

"And that," Monokuma cheers, hopping back up onto the podium. "is the end of the entrance ceremony! Enjoy your super dreary lives!" With that finishing line, he hops down and vanishes in a cloud of smoke.

After several moments of stunned silence, Taka speaks in a shaky voice. "How… would you all define what just happened?"

The first few responses are all panicked, as they should be, but the level-headed Kyoko breaks through it with her calm demeanor. "Please, calm down everyone. Let's take a moment to summarize what we just heard." She brings a gloved hand to her chin. "Judging from what he told us, we have two options: We live here until the day we die, or…"

"We kill someone if we want to leave." I finish, voice filled with dread.

"But…!" Taka starts. "There's no one who's actually considering this… right?"

A tense silence takes over the area. People's eyes dart around the room, each being met with the same skepticism that they themselves are projecting. As I look at them, I know they're all sharing the same thought of wondering _if_ someone was going to betray us. My thought on the other hand, and probably Byakuya's as well, is much scarier.

" _Who is going to betray us this time?"_


	3. Insight Ignite!

Makoto's P.o.V:

As we all stand around the gym, it only takes Kyoko's cool voice to break the tension.

"So? What are all of you going to do now? Just stand around glaring at each other?"

As she says this, it occurs to me that she's the one who broke the tension the last time it happened… but that alone raises a troubling thought.

" _So, wait… if she did **this** like last time, why didn't she warn Mondo about the bomb? Did it not occur to her…?" _ But... that doesn't make sense. In every time travel movie I've ever seen, the people who don't remember always do the same thing… of course, they _were_ just movies.

Taka's voice breaks me out of my thoughts. "…I can't forgive myself, I'm so ashamed! Someone, please hit me, punish me!"

Oh dear god. If I didn't already know about how Taka is, I would have thought he was some kind of freak. _"Well… he sorta is a freak. But in a good way. A perfectly nice freak."_ Mondo cuts in before this train of thought can go any further.

"Dude. If you have time to yell about it, you have time to do something about it!"

Chihiro speaks up for the first time in a while, "B-but maybe we should look at the e-Handbook? We wouldn't want to accidentally break any of those regulations Monokuma was talking about..." He fiddles with his skirt as he struggles to make eye-contact.

As everyone is pulling out their handbooks and looking over the current regulations, I can't help but wonder how everyone will treat Chihiro once they figure out he's a boy… if I can manage to save him that is.

" _No no! I can't think like that."_ I internally fume, scolding myself for my pessimism. _"Not if I save him, **when** I save him!"_

I quickly flip through the regulations after shaking those thoughts. Nothing seems to be different. I raise my head from the screen and see various degrees of agitation on everyone's face. Mondo is first to say something.

"This is fucking bullshit!" he shouts, "What kind of stupid fucking rules are these? They aren't gonna tell me what to do!"

As Celes and Mukuro talk him down, Sayaka speaks up. "Does anyone know what the last part of the second regulation means?" By that… she's talking about the graduation clause. Right as I was going to explain, Byakuya cuts in.

"All its saying-" Byakuya replies, with more than a little venom in his voice, "-is that if we want to graduate, you have to kill someone _without getting caught_. There's obviously going to be some kind of punishment if someone catches the murderer. It's simple if you take the time to think about it." Sayaka is stunned to silence and shrinks back, seemingly embarrassed.

" _Okay, wow."_ I think, stunned. _"I know he remembers and all, but surely he must have thought about how she hasn't actually committed a crime yet!"_ I decide to ask him about his attitude toward her later... we're going to need to be united if we're going to get through this.

" _Anyway_ ," I say, before he decides to bite her head clean off, "I think we should start exploring! We all get the regulations now, so we should be able to explore without too much trouble."

"I agree!" Hina chirps. "There's no point talking about all of this silly murder stuff."

"Plus," Taka says, "We need to figure out where we are. Do we have food? Supplies? These are very vital!"

"Very well." Byakuya says, looking agitated. "We'll split up and examine the area. Half of us should explore the dorm area, while the rest survey the school."

"Who died and made you the boss?" Mondo snaps. "I don't like taking orders from some self-entitled prick!"

"I was merely suggesting the best course of action… unless _you_ have a better idea." He finishes with a sneer. I can see a vein in Mondo's neck starting to stick out.

" _Oh damn, wasn't it Byakuya's fault that I got punched by Mondo before?! Granted, he wasn't as much of a douche this time, but Mondo is still pissed!"_ I sigh. _"Might as well try to calm him down. Worse comes to worse he's just gonna knock me out… again."_

"Errr, Mondo?" he turns to look at me, seething. "We don't really have a better plan at this point, so I don't see any harm in just doing it that way…" I trail off, expecting him to snap at me and throw me across the room. I brace myself for the blow, but all he does is sling an arm around my shoulder.

" _Hah?"_

"All right then, no problem!" He cheers. "If my bro here thinks its best, I don't have an issue with it!"

…

…

"…What?" I manage to squeak after a beat of stunned silence. I…don't understand. He's _not_ gonna throw me? What the hell? Even Byakuya seems surprised at this development.

He laughs, and continues. "Anyone who saves my ass like that is as good a bro as I can ask for! Hey, how did ya guess it was a bomb anyway? You some kind of genius?" Instead of paranoid suspicion at my warning, he seems to be just genuinely curious. He grins at me, excitedly waiting for my response.

More than uncomfortable, I manage a nervous laugh. "Ehehe… I just watch a lot of action movies is all. Usually when something starts beeping like that in the movies, it explodes."

He seems to accept this, and pulls me into a bone crushing one-armed hug. "That's awesome! I watch action movies all the time and I never noticed that before! You're one smart dude, bro!"

" _Ack… I can't decide if I like him better like this or when he's putting me through a wall!"_ I wince. I think my shoulder just popped! I frantically look around the room for some help, but everyone is either watching us with amusement, or are off having their own conversations. Byakuya is scowling at the wall.

"Come on bro!" He says, "Let's go explore the school together! The rest of these bozos can go explore the dorms." He starts to drag me off, and I almost let him… but then I remember I need to talk to Byakuya urgently.

"A-ah, Mondo?" I whisper to him, in an attempt to make it seem important. "Do you think you can go explore with Chihiro?" He looks at me confused, so I explain. "H- er... She's just so small, and she's been so nervous since we've been here…" I pause, for dramatic affect. "We don't know what this place is like. What if she gets into trouble and she's all alone? She needs a friend to watch her back." I look at him pleadingly, hoping that he'll fall for it.

I sigh in relief as he nods understandingly. "I totally get it bro. Gotta watch out for everyone right? You really are a nice dude!" He grins and releases my shoulder. "I'll definitely keep her safe! It's a promise between men, got it?" He holds out his fist, and I grin back at him and bump it with my own.

"Definitely. I trust you man." I say. " _He really isn't a bad guy, he's just really… passionate."_ He grins at me one last time before jogging over to where Chihiro is talking with Celes.

Mondo's P.o.V:

Ready to complete the task my bro assigned to me, I make my way over to that chick Chihiro. The weird Goth chick sees me coming and excuses herself before I make it over there. Whatever.

"Hey!" I say as I get to where she's standing, "We're gonna go exploring together!" She turns my way with big doe-like eyes and stares at me in surprise.

"W-what?" She squeaks. " _What? Am I speaking German or something?"_

"I _said_ , we're going to go exploring together! C'mon!" I say grinning. I dunno what I said, but she suddenly looks down and starts messing with her skirt. "Eh? What's wrong?"

"W-well, I mean," She starts, stuttering, "I don't know why you'd want to pair up with _me_ of all people."

"Hah!?" I blurt. I think it might have been too loud though, 'cause she starts and looks at me with watery eyes. _"Ah shit."_ Panicking, I try to smooth over the situation. "H-hey, what's wrong?"

"It's just… I dunno why you'd ask me of all people to come with you. You're so big…" She sniffles, gesturing between us. "And I'm so... not. How could I possibly help you at all?"

I bark out a laugh. "Is that it?" She nods. "Then there isn't an issue! You're a genius right? So you can do all the thinking…"

"Wha-"

I stoop down low and sweep her off her feet, hefting her onto my right shoulder. She's really light...

"…And I'll do all the leg work!" I finish, grinning up at her. By now everyone's attention is on us, not that I care.

"M-Mondo, put me down!" She squeals, firmly gripping her skirt. "I can walk just f-fine!"

"Nope!" I say, grinning. "It's fair this way! Plus, up here you can get a better look at everything, right?"

She pauses for a second to think. "Well... I guess so, but-" I cut her off.

"Great! Then let's get started!" I get a firm hold on her legs and take off out of the gym.

She yells and holds onto my arm for support. "A-ah, wait a minute Mondo, wait! M-mondoooooo-!"

Makoto P.o.V:

"… _Passionately crazy maybe!"_

I stare at the gym's doors dumbstruck, like everyone else is at the moment. All I asked him to do is go explore with him! How does that warrant picking him up like that!?

" _Poor Chihiro… I didn't mean to do that to you."_ I sigh. _"I'll have to make it up to him later, if for nothing else than to make myself feel better..."_

"Well done Mondo!" Taka shouts, surprising me. "To see a delinquent taking initiative like that warms my heart…! We must follow in his footsteps!" He walks over to Mukuro. "Junko! Would you like to join me in surveying the school!?"

"What?" she manages. "I mean I guess that'd be cool, but-"

"Very well!" He shouts, and then does the very same thing that Mondo did.

Except her legs are on either side of Taka's head.

Who seems to have forgotten that she's wearing a skirt.

A skirt that is currently leaving _very_ little to the imagination.

" _B-black lace…!"_ I immediately feel the heat pooling in my cheeks at the sight. _"Do those even count as underwear!?"_

She doesn't seem to notice, but she starts beating his head in an effort to get him to put her down, face crimson. "Lemme down, ya idiot!" He only laughs in response. "It's not funny! What the hell is your issue!?"

"It's no issue! I was simply following Mondo's spirited example! I, of all people, cannot allow myself to be out-done by a delinquent!" He replies, eyes sparkling.

"Whaddya mean "spirited!?" He just hauled Chihiro off like a sack for potatoes! No way are you doing the same to me, you dolt!" Saying this, she starts to struggle to get free with renewed vigor, which only makes her skirt ride up higher.

I turn my head in an effort to save her some decency, and I'm relieved to see that everyone is doing the same... Everyone except for Hiro and Hifumi that is, who are currently shamelessly gawking at her ass.

Celes walks up behind them noiselessly and smacks them both squarely on the back of the head. "Pigs." She spits, and quickly drags them out of the gym kicking and screaming by their shirt collars.

Mukuro stops her efforts to get free and looks up to see what was happening. Sayaka speaks up.

"Erm… Junko?" She coughs and points to her butt in an effort to subtly inform her of her problem.

She looks confused at first, but catches on quickly and glances down. Her face turns even redder than I had initially thought possible, and she shouts at Taka.

"Moron, you seriously need to let me down! People can see my ass!" This seems to finally get through to Taka.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, hold on a moment!" Instead of letting her down like I had expected however, he begins to take off his uniform jacket. _"What the hell is he doing!?"_

Before I can voice this thought, he somehow manages to take off his jacket without having Mukuro get off his shoulders, and is left only in a white collared shirt. She looks down and shoots him a dubious look as he hands it to her. "What the hell is this for?"

"For you to tie around your waist!" He says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "While dress code is a matter of great importance to me, protecting a girl's modesty takes priority! Please take it so that we may begin our investigation!"

I can't tell if the blush on Mukuro's face is from either embarrassment, anger, or the fact that Taka's body is actually _really_ sculpted under his uniform jacket, but just as she looks like she's about to smack him again... she relents with a sigh.

"Alright then, Brows..." she says, tying the jacket around her waist, "Since you're _obviously_ not gonna let me go, let's just get this over with!" She kicks him in the side. "Giddy up!"

Taka grins, and bolts out of the door almost as quickly as Mondo did, nearly dropping Mukuro in the process.

…

" _What the hell did I just start!?"_ I can't help but think… Did all of this seriously stem from me telling Mondo that it was a bomb, rather than Kyoko? _"I think I need to be more careful about what I say from now on… even though it was necessary this time."_

I let out a long-suffering sigh. "I guess we should all get going huh? Wouldn't want to be out-done right?" I say, laughing slightly.

"Very well." Sakura replies, with Hina nodding. "We shall go investigate the dorm area… I will not be picking you up, however." She gives Hina a stern look at her pout, and they both exit the gym.

"Okay then!" Sayaka cheers. "We'll be off too, right guys?" She turns and looks at me expectantly.

"Err, right… I think I'll go search on my own for a bit. Maybe I'll meet up with you later?" She looks slightly put-out, but nods at me none the less. She then turns to Toko and Leon and tries to goad them into going with her.

"I suppose it's time for me to depart as well." Byakuya says. "Let's not waste time."

With that, he exits the gym, and I follow silently after.

* * *

As we head for the dorms, a thought occurs to me. "Hey, Byakuya?" I whisper. He grunts in acknowledgement. "Isn't the bath house off-limits for now?"

"Don't worry." He replies evenly. "I've thought it out."

With those words, he goes silent again.

" _Geez, I know he isn't the chatty type, but you'd think he'd make at least a little small talk in this situation..."_ I think, irritated. Isn't it sorta suspicions to be walking around in complete silence?

As we near the entrance to the bath house, my suspicions are confirmed as I see yellow caution tape blocking off the entrance. _"What's his plan, I wonder...?"_

I wasn't left hanging for long however, as Byakuya simply pulls the caution tape away from the bath's large opening.

I stare at him, stunned. "What the hell are you doing!?"

Monokuma then makes his appearance out of nowhere. "I hafta agree Mister Heir, just what _are_ you doing? That was taped off for a reason you know!"

"I want to take a bath." He states simply, with a scowl and a raised eyebrow.

…

" _Oh my god. **That's** his plan?" _ I can only look at him with something akin to disbelief. Did he seriously expect this stunt to work!?

Monokuma laughs. "Oh, you are a _riot_! Think just because you're a rich boy that you can get into a restricted area?" He wags his claw at this. "No sir, no sir!"

"And why, pray tell-" He replies, exuding an air of sheer arrogance, "-is this area restricted? Do you have a viable reason?"

"Well if you really _must_ know, it was supposed to be a reward to you all." He says, pouting. "You know, after someone committed the first murder..."

"And how do you know that we're even going to kill each other?" He continues in a condescending tone. "Will it simply be off limits forever if nothing happens? I hardly think that it's fair for you to leave a perfectly functioning bath house off-limits for the rest of our lives."

"But it _won't_ be forever, cause someone _will_ off someone else! It's gonna happen!" He cries indignantly.

"Oh?" Byakuya smirks. "So you're one-hundred percent certain that someone is going to commit murder?"

" _Yes!"_ He cries exasperated. "How many times do I hafta tell you nematodes, someone _will_ die! Geez…"

Watching their back-and-forth, I figure out that he's trapping Monokuma with his own words. I decide to go along with it… even though I'm still not sure it's going to work.

"Well then," I say, smiling, "Since someone is gonna die at some point anyway, what's the harm in getting one little reward in advance?" I tilt my head and continue. "Unless you really _aren't_ sure that someone will become a murderer…" I finish, shooting him a dubious look.

By this point Monokuma looks absolutely crestfallen. "How could you guys be so mean as to doubt your headmaster in such a huge way…?" He grumbles to himself for a moment before continuing. "…I suppose I'll give you early access to a reward this one time, just to prove to you dweebs how confident I am that someone's gonna snap and become a cold-blooded killer! Upupupu... Yeah, that works!" He finishes, triumphantly. He then disappears, saying that his business here is done.

Shocked that he actually took the bait, I turn to Byakuya. "I can't believe that worked… Just how certain were you that he was gonna fall for that?"

"I figured he'd either take my bait or try to punish me for going in there. Seems like it was the former."

And with that, he enters the bath house.

I fight the urge to cry. _"So basically not at all, right...?"_

Mondo's P.o.V:

As I race out of the trophy room, Chihiro starts to talk. "W-wait a minute Mondo! We won't find anything out if we're going at top speed!"

Hearing this, I screech to a halt. "Ahh, you're right! See... this is why you're with me! I woulda just kept running around here till I found something worth looking at!" I finish, looking up at her with a grin. She blushes.

"Y-yeah, well, I think we might want to look at all of these metal plates first." She says, looking at the windows. "To see if there's any way we can remove them."

"Right!" I walk over to the nearest plate and start looking at it. "I'm gonna hafta put you down for a second, I wanna try something."

She nods, mumbling something about how she didn't need to be carried around anyway, and I place her on the ground.

"Alright!" I yell, throwing off my _Crazy Diamond_ jacket. "Let's _do_ this shit!" I grab the edges of the metal plate and start pulling with all my might.

**_"Huaaaaaaa!"_ **

I focus all of my attention on trying to take the stupid plate off. If I just pull a little fucking harder, then...!

"Mondo?" Chihiro says. I ignore her and continue pulling. "Mondo!?"

"Just a little…more!"

"Mondo!" She yells, and throws both arms around my left bicep, effectively suspending her in the air. This gets my attention.

"What?!" I yell out, surprised.

She looks up at me with tears in her eyes and a frown on her face. "You need to stop!" She says, trying to be stern. "Y-your hands…"

Confused about what she meant, I look at where my hands are placed on the metal sheet. My eyes widen a little as I see blood trickling steadily down the metal plate from where my hands are gripping the edges.

Whoops.

I relax my grip on the metal plates and let go completely once Chihiro lets go of my arm. I look down to scope out the damage done, and see one deep cut on each of my palms. _"Damn… did a real number on myself!"_

Chihiro grabs my jacket off of the floor and then walks over and grabs my arm, still teary. "Come on! We've got to get those cleaned up…"

Before I can object, her small hand is wrapped firmly around my wrist as she leads me down the hall to the men's bathroom.

"H-hey," I stutter. "This is the guy's bathroom! You shouldn't be coming in here!" I feel my face go hot.

A dark look passes over her face before she continues. "N-no, its completely fine. Let's just fix up your hand before it gets infected." We walk over to the sink and she runs hot water on each of my palms, before patting them dry with paper towels.

If my face wasn't red before, it definitely is now. She's just so… gentle. Plus, the determined look on her face as she focuses on tending to my hands is undeniably cute… _"Okay, back up!"_ I internally smack myself. _"Now isn't the damn time to be thinking about that kind of thing! We need to focus on finding a way outta here!"_

She catches my attention when she starts muttering to herself. "Hmm… Something to wrap them…" Her face lights up. "Ah! I have just the thing…" She trails off as she starts digging in her pockets, and after a few moments, she pulls out a light green plaid handkerchief.

_Schk!_

...And starts to rip it in half.

"O-oi! You don't have to do that!" But before the words are out of my mouth she's already finished the job. "…That was sorta unnecessary, girlie. Ya don't need to wrap 'em, I'll be fine."

"No, no!" She scolds, determined pout on her face. "I would hate for you to get an infection when I can do something to prevent it! Now, give me your hands."

"…Right." I give in and hold up my hands for her to work on, and she shoots me a smile before setting to work. I'm pretty damn sure my face is red again. _"Damn… I promised bro to help her out, but it looks like it's the other way around… how lame."_

…

After a couple moments of silence, Chihiro speaks.

"So, um…" She starts, nervous. "I'm really, really sorry. I should have stepped in before it got this bad."

"Hah?" What the hell has she got to apologize for!? "Listen chika, I did this to myself. I just kinda got in the zone there trying to pull off the plate… I actually want to thank you for stoppin' me back there." I flash her a grin.

"B-but-" she starts, but I make sure to stop her short.

"But nothing!" I yell, and she jumps. "Er. Sorry." I say. I nearly forgot that this one scares easy. "Look... I know for a fact that I can be really fucking bull-headed when it comes to things, and it's a damn feat that you managed to stop me before it got really bad. Now I don't want you to be blamin' yourself for this anymore, promise?"

She looks at me for a second before flashing, what I think, is an award winning smile. "Right. I won't anymore, I promise!" And with that, she finishes wrapping my hands and hands me my jacket.

I quickly pull it on. "'Kay then, let's continue looking around!" I smile down at her and start to walk towards the door, but then something occurs to me. I turn back to her.

"Hey… ya know, since you made a promise to me, I think I'll make one to you." She looks at me, curious.

"Like what?"

"Well… I dunno." I think for moment, before it hits me. "I got it!" I hold up one of my hands so she can see it, and point to the cloth she tied around it. "I promise that I'll replace this for ya one day! But, until I can…" I pick her up and put her back on my shoulder. "I'll be your hankie!"

"W-what? My hankie?" She asks, more than a little confused.

"Yeah!" I say, grinning. "Whenever you feel like crying, or if something's bugging ya, you can come to me! I may not be the best at feelings or whatever the hell, but I'll definitely try to help ya out however I can. It's the least I can do for how well you took care of me! Look," I hold up my pinky for her. "This'll seal the deal."

She looks stunned for a moment, before she smiles wider than she has this entire time and locks her pinky with mine. "Right! It's a promise!"

With that, my new ladybro and I leave the bathroom to continue investigating… but then we're stopped by a very scandalized looking Hina and a very pissed Sakura.

" _Ah, fuck me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is already pretty far along, but I'm not going to be able to post everything all at once! I'll be pushing hard on transferring all my work here within the next few days though, so keep an eye out!


	4. Don't Call Me Shirley!

Makoto's P.o.V:

As I walk in to the bath house, I see something I _really_ didn't think I'd ever see.

Byakuya without his glasses.

I arch an eyebrow in question, and he sighs. "It's so humid in here right now that my glasses became fogged." He runs his hand through his hair and continues. "But that's clearly not the point right now… we obviously need to talk."

I nod in agreement and plop down on the bench next to him. We both remain silent for a few minutes before I decide to speak.

"So… how much do your remember?"

He thinks for a moment before replying. "Up until we opened the door. All I recall is a bright light, and then everything goes black... I presume you woke up in the same room you did initially as well?"

"Yeah, in the exact same position too." I pause a moment to lick my lips and continue. "How do you think this happened? It doesn't make sense that you and I are the only ones who remember it all…"

"I have a couple of theories as to what may have happened…" He starts. "However, none of them exactly explain why only you and I remember. In all honesty, that's not what we need to focus on at this point."

"What do you mean? Don't you think it's kind of important to figure out how we got here?" I look at him, curious.

"I never said it wasn't, you idiot." He replies with a scowl. "I think that if we focus on _why_ it happened, rather than _how_ , we'll end up coming up with a lot more answers to all of our questions."

I nod with a sigh. "I guess that makes sense. Though if I had to take a wild stab at what may have happened, I feel like Junko probably has something to do with it."

"You're probably right about that… though I honestly don't know how she could have pulled it off…" He trails off, rubbing his temples.

I pop up off of the bench and turn to face him. "Well you know, there's only one way we can possibly figure it out. We're gonna have to go through this again and confront Junko about it in the end!" I say, fixing an even gaze on him. "But this time is gonna be different. I refuse to let all of our friends die again knowing how it's going to happen!"

He looks at me for a moment before looking away. "…It's not that simple Makoto. There's no telling what may happen this time."

"How is it not that simple!?" I ask, pissed. "We know all of the motives and who acts first, so how hard could it possibly be to plan around it?"

"That's not what I'm talking about, you dolt." He shoots an icy glare my way. "I have a sneaking suspicion that not everything is going to work out as it did previously. You saw it yourself, you know… it's not all the same."

It takes me a minute to think of what he means… and when I do it hits me like a ton of bricks.

"You mean… about what happened with Kyoko earlier…?"

He relaxes a bit at my understanding. "Yes. That incident alone proved to me that not everything is going to be the same this time. Had you not told Mondo about the bomb, he would be dead without a doubt. I was watching her the entire time, and not once did it appear that she was going to say anything... she may not have even thought it to be a bomb at all."

I start at this. "You mean to tell me that it may not have occurred to her at all!?" He nods solemnly. I rub my hand on my forehead and sigh. "So if that's true, then… does that mean it's all going to be different?"

"Not all of it. Some things are definitely still the same. Everyone is still acting the same as when we knew them, and none of the regulations have changed. We can also probably assume that the motives presented to us will all be the same as well. We're simply going to have to be on our toes at all times... never assuming anything to be the exact same." He finishes, rubbing his neck. It seems like he's put a lot of thought into all of this...

"Right…" I say, nodding. "In that case though, don't you think it would be a good idea to act as though it _were_ the same, but still expect things to go differently? We don't really have a solid plan of action otherwise." I sit down on the bench across from him, and wait for his reply.

"...Very well." He says after a beat of silence. "If we're to assume that things will turn out exactly as they did last time, our focus should first be on Sayaka and Leon… and the video motive."

"Mukuro as well…" My eyes widen as I remember what I wanted to discuss with him. "Ah wait, _Mukuro_! How on earth are we supposed to save her? She and Junko are obviously working together right now, so who's to say that she would even listen to us…?" I finish, nerves starting to build up. He notices immediately.

"Calm down, Makoto." His gaze is still as sharp as ever, but there's a more gentle tone to his voice. "We will find a solution to this in time; for now we need to think of a way to prevent the first murder. You and I will definitely figure this out, but we must not get ahead of ourselves."

I funny feeling forms in the pit of my stomach because of how he's looking at me. _"This is weird... He's definitely acting differently, right? Maybe it's just the lack of glasses that makes him seem different? I don't know…"_ I internally sigh. _"Whatever it is, it's really not important right now."_ I give him a small smile, but it falters when I remember what else I needed to ask him.

"Wait, Byakuya?" He arches an eyebrow. "Why were you acting so coldly to Sayaka earlier? You obviously know that it hasn't occurred to her to kill someone yet, so it doesn't make any sense."

He doesn't answer right away, instead opting to look out the door to the bath house for a moment before looking straight at me. "You shouldn't get close to her again."

This catches me by surprise. "What do you mean?"

"She used you as a pawn the first time Makoto, she isn't really your friend." He replies evenly. "What's stopping her from doing it all over again? You're only going to end up hurting if you get close to her."

"Are you stupid?" I ask, irritated. "Sayaka _is_ my friend, I just didn't handle her well enough the first time! I just won't switch rooms with her when, and more importantly _if,_ she asks me."

He lets out a long suffering sigh. "Like I said earlier, _Makoto,_ things aren't that simple. Though she may not use you in the same way, there is a high probability that she somehow will. It's in her nature; it has nothing to do with circumstance."

"Like I said earlier, _Byakuya,_ " I mock, "Sayaka is my friend! The only reason she did what she did last time is because of my enabling her! Plus, what do you even mean "It's in her nature!?" She's gotta be one of the sweetest people I've ever met!"

He stands and crosses his arms. "You're naïve if you think that's actually how she is." He hardens his look into a glare. "Sayaka Maizono is one of the worst types or people. She'll appear outwardly as a sweet, caring girl, but on the inside is someone who's well-versed in manipulation and cutting throats in order to achieve her goals. If she has a reason to use you, she will." He glances at me again before looking back out the door.

In the small lull of conversation, I suddenly remember something. Last time, Sayaka herself had said that she's done a lot of bad things to get where she was… I quickly shake that thought off. _"This and that are two totally different things!"_ I internally smack myself. " _She isn't like that! Being an idol just means you can't be pushed around! That doesn't mean she was ruining peoples careers or anything!"_

He suddenly starts speaking, catching my attention again. "I'm telling you this for your own good, Makoto. Stay away from her." He suddenly leans in close, with our noses nearly touching. My breath hitches. "You will regret getting involved with her again, I assure you." With that, he pulls away and sweeps out of the room.

Still trying to calm down my heart, I yell after him. "Yeah right, you jackass! Things are going to be different this time! She's not gonna do it again, and I'll make sure of that myself!" Unsure of whether or not he heard me, I sigh and turn to leave as well when something catches my eye.

On the bench next to where Byakuya was sitting are his glasses, neatly folded and placed on a towel.

" _How unlike him to forget something like that…"_ I sigh. _"I should probably give them back to him later, even though he's an ass."_

I put them in the pocket of my hoodie, and leave the area.

* * *

Byakuya's P.o.V:

Without anything better to do until further notice, I decide to head to my room to cool my head.

" _That… hadn't gone as well as I had hoped it would."_ It was probably wishful thinking on my part that he'd agree not to go near her, but I wasn't expecting him to reject the idea so violently after what she did to him. _"That's just the type of person he is, though… so forgiving and optimistic."_

"Of course, that's what's going to be his downfall if he doesn't heed my advice…" I mumble as I enter my room. "He doesn't know what _I_ know about that girl..."

As I try to look around to see if anything has changed, I realize that I'd forgotten my glasses back in the bath house. I shake my head and make a mental note to go back for them later.

I lay down on the bed and close my eyes. _"Not that he'd believe me if I told him. That girl is an angel in his eyes."_

As I lay there, I can't help but feel _slightly_ guilty for not bringing it up the last time we went through this. I could have told him after the fact, but she was already dead. Why not let him believe that she really _was_ an angel? More importantly... I didn't care enough either way to tell him about her nature.

Thinking about it... back then I was actually impressed with her actions. The entertainment industry has always been cutthroat; cut off the weak, and only the best will rise to the top. While I personally may prefer crushing my competition while looking them in the eye, covert tactics are still understandable.

And yet, now... I can't help but feel like she's pathetic. Rather than her being someone I find redeemable for their methods, I can only feel disgust when looking at her.

" _Because of... him."_ I think, sighing.

When I first met him, I wouldn't think any more of him than an insect on the bottom of my shoe, much like most everyone else I've met. He was just a short, _boring_ boy with no special qualities to speak of, and had only gotten into this school through dumb luck alone. As we went through our "school life" together, though... my opinion of him changed drastically. Through our interactions, he made me realize things about myself and others around me...

As much as I loathe to admit it, he made me a better person than I initially was. While there wasn't much room for improvement... it was still improvement nonetheless.

" _He became a beacon of hope for us all, and is someone I undoubtedly respect… though I'd never tell him that."_

…

" _Respect really isn't the right word, though."_ I think with a sigh. _"I do respect him, but that's only part of it… I think most people would describe this feeling as "liking" someone?"_

I roll over on my side and stare at the door, which is little more than a fuzzy blur. _"When did these feelings first come up..? I don't really think there was one single moment that made me feel like this… It just happened."_

Except things aren't supposed to "just happen" to Byakuya Togami. They're always meticulously planned out from the very beginning, to eliminate any possibility of the odds turning against me.

" _But the one thing I hadn't hadn't factored in was... **feelings**_ **.** "

Feelings I hadn't felt toward another person in my entire life. Feelings that have absolutely nothing to do with logic. For once I can say that, though I have nothing to gain from this person, I still want them nearby… and it's terrifying.

" _Especially since he'll most likely not feel the same."_

It wasn't until recently that I accepted these feelings for what they were. Up until this point, I hadn't been physically attracted to another male… I had always considered myself perfectly straight. Imagine my surprise when I started _watching_ him, just finding myself passing time by observing whatever it was he was doing in that moment.

Of course... by watching him, I've figured out well enough that he is, in fact, straight _._ The probability that he'd consider returning my feelings is, dare I say, _despairingly_ low.

I begin to glare at the fuzzy door, willing it to become clear. _"He'd much rather try to get with that two-faced girl that he doesn't actually know anything about."_ I sigh and get up, deciding that I've spent enough time doing nothing.

" _I seriously fear for what she may do to him… so I'll just have to remain one step ahead of her."_

* * *

Taka's P.o.V:

As we finish searching the last classroom on the first floor, Junko gets my attention by smacking me on the back of the head.

"Ya know, Brows…" I have no idea why she calls me that. "We may be a little more effective in searching the area if you _let me down._ " She gives me a pointed look, and I can only shake my head at her foolishness.

"That isn't acceptable." I say, giving her a stern look. "I cannot risk you getting hurt at this point in time. Until I am certain that there are no immediate threats, I can't allow you to roam around freely."

She arches an eyebrow at me. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself you know. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to be dumb to be pretty."

"I never meant to imply that!" I sigh, and turn to set her down on one of the desks. "I am by no means doubting your intelligence, Junko. I was merely attempting to do my job."

She gives me a dubious look. "Your job..?"

"Yes!" I say, looking directly into her eyes. "My number one priority at all times is to protect my fellow students, no matter the cost! I'd gladly carry you around all the time if it meant that I could keep you safe!"

She gets a strange look on her face and remains silent for a moment before speaking up. "But you don't even _know_ me. Why would you go so far just to protect someone you just met?"

I widen my eyes at her question. "Shouldn't it be obvious!?" I say at a near yell, making her jump. "Just because I am not personally acquainted with someone does not make their life worth any less! I would be a terrible person if I only tried to protect people I know personally! As leader of the morals committee, such a mindset is completely impossible!"

She appears to be honestly surprised at my answer, as she's left her mouth agape. I try to assist her by closing it, but she smacks my hand away and glares.

"So you seriously mean to tell me that, if you could save a complete stranger's life, you'd put your own on the line?" Something about her tone makes me nervous, but I continue on regardless.

"Absolutely!" I say, grinning at her. "If I knew for a fact that I could save someone's life, but potentially lose my own in the process, I'd still do it!"

She turns to the metal covered windows and glances back at me. "…But why?"

I stand up straight and cross my arms. "Because that's what I think is right!"

As I say, this she turns to me. Junko looks deep into my eyes, and as I look back into hers... I can't help but think there's something oddly familiar about them. She speaks up again after a moment.

"Alright, I believe you!" She claps her hands together and stands, seemingly content. I, however, am not.

"Wait a moment!" I stop her in her tracks. "I must know why you decided to ask those questions. Do you not share the same opinion?"

She looks downward and starts to play with the ends or her hair, contemplating something. I wait for a couple of beats of silence before she starts talking.

"…No. It's not that I don't agree." She says, murmuring. "On the contrary, if I could die for something or someone with good reason, I'd die happy." She pauses a second. "…I would just have to be certain that what I was dying for was worth it." She then rounds on me with a smile, returning to her normal speaking voice. "But there really isn't a point in talking about this right now, is there? We have more exploring to do!"

Something tells me that this conversation may come back up at some point, so I let it go for now. She turns to exit the room before I stop her again.

"Hold it! Where do you think you're heading off to?" I sweep her up and cradle her in my arms. "You aren't allowed to walk around until I deem it safe!" As I'm about to exit the room, she smacks my chest.

"What the hell are you doing now!?" She looks up at me with a panicked look on her face, cheeks blazing. "Don't you get just how wrong this looks?"

"What?" I ask, confused.

"The way you're holding me Brows! P-people are gonna think... stuff!" She says, stumbling over her words.

"Eh? But my jacket is still tied around your waist, and I'm holding it to your legs. No one can say anything about your modesty now!" I say, beaming down at her.

This only makes her face get even redder. "Don't bring that back up!" she snaps. "I'm taking about how people might think we're a thing!"

"A thing?" I ask, not quite getting what she's saying. "What kind of thing do we look like?"

She groans and hides her face behind her hands. "Like a _romantic_ thing, Brows!"

I... still don't get what she means. "I'm just carrying you, though… what does romance have to do with it?"

"Urrrgh!" She muffles a scream in her hands. "Just put me back up on your shoulders, you idiot! It's less detrimental for my sanity up there!"

I shrug and decide to comply with her. Once she's safely up there, I glance up to see that her face is still red. "What's wrong now?" I ask worried. "Are you ill?"

"N-nothing!" She stutters, and takes a deep breath. "…Nothing at all, Brows. Can we just get going now? I want to meet up with the others to see what they've discovered. We _must_ have covered all the areas by now."

I raise an eyebrow at her behavior, but nod and walk out of the room none the less. What an odd girl!

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

After wandering around aimlessly for a couple of hours, I guess that people must have started gathering in the dining hall by now. When I enter, I'm surprised to see that only Sayaka is standing there.

She waves when she notices me. "Hey Makoto! Where've you been?"

"Oh, ya know… here and there." I say, smiling. "Where are Leon and Toko? Weren't you with them?"

"Ah well… Toko sorta split off on her own pretty quickly after we started searching, and Leon went to go check out his room. I decided to wait here 'cause it seemed like it would be a pretty good gathering place." Sayaka glances off to the side as she says this. "What do you think?"

"Makes sense." I say, nodding. "So, what did you discover?"

"A lot, actually." She says with a smile. "But we can talk about that later when everyone's here. There are a couple of things I wanna ask you about right now."

"Oh? Like what?" I ask, feigning curiosity. I can probably already guess the things she's going to want to talk about.

"How did you get into the bath house?" She asks with a smile.

…Or not.

"Eh?" I say, surprised.

"Yeah, how did you get in there? When Leon and I went by it earlier it was blocked off, but I saw you leaving it a little while ago." She tilts her head to the side. "How'd you do it?"

"A-ah, well… I was with Byakuya, and we sorta talked Monokuma into opening it up to us." I say, not wanting to look directly at her. "It was actually supposed to be a… "reward", for after one of us committed murder."

"What?" She asks, surprised. "Why would he reward something like that? How terrible!" She then launches into a triad about just how terrible it is, and I sort of tune her out.

I bite my lip. _"It's sort of ironic that you'd say that… because you're the one who got us that reward."_ I look back at her and she's still ranting about it. I decide to cut her off before she runs out of breath.

"Anyway," I say, trying not to be too rude about it. "Monokuma was so convinced that one of us would commit murder that he decided to give us a reward early! As messed up as it is, it's nice to have something like that available until we find a way to escape."

She doesn't seem bothered by my interruption. "It really is… you're amazing Makoto! It's great that you managed to convince that teddy bear to let us have it!"

"W-well, Byakuya is the one who did a lot of the talking you know…" I say, blushing. "I just helped a little."

"Oh come now, I bet you're just being modest!" She says. Sayaka is absolutely beaming. "You really are great… oh! I have an idea!"

She walks up to me and grabs both my hands in her own. I can feel my face get hotter. "Let me be your assistant! I'll help you out as much as I can, I promise!" She looks at me expectantly, and I obviously already know my answer… but just as I'm about to speak, something Byakuya said earlier makes me hesitate.

" _ **Sayaka Maizono is one of the worst types or people. She'll appear outwardly as a sweet, caring girl, but on the inside is someone who's well-versed in manipulation and cutting throats in order to achieve her goals. If she she needs to use you, she will."**_

I quickly push the thought out of my head. He was just being paranoid! Showbiz and real life are totally different; as long as I don't switch rooms with her when she asks, I should be fine right?

"Erm… Makoto?" She looks at me, worried. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing at all!" I say, waving my hand frantically. "I'd love for you to be my assistant Sayaka, as long as you let me help you too!"

She grins at me, and nods. "Right-o, Captain! What's first on the agenda?"

"Well…" I say, thinking. "Help me gather up everyone? By now we must have covered all the areas possible, so I'd like to see what everyone's found out."

"Right!" She cheers. "I'll look around the school, so you should look around the dorms. Let's go!" With that, she bolts out the door.

I smile and shake my head. _"I'm really glad she's alive."_ Thinking this, I make my way to the doors, but I walk face first into something firm. And warm.

I look up to see Byakuya standing in the doorway. He raises an eyebrow. "Hello to you too, Makoto." My face goes hot, and I leap backwards.

"H-hey, Byakuya…" I say, looking away. "I was just on my way to go gather everyone! What a coincidence!" I let out a nervous laugh.

"…Right." He starts. "Did you happen to see my glasses anywhere? I thought I had left them in the bath house, but they're not there."

"Oh! Yeah. I have 'em right here, sorry. Leaving them there for anyone to pick up seemed like a bad idea." I quickly pull them out of my pocket, grateful for the distraction. He quickly puts them on.

"Thank you." He goes silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "I assume you haven't heeded my advice about the girl, correct?"

I roll my eyes. "No, I haven't." I say in a harsh whisper. "I'm not gonna give her crap for something she doesn't even remember! She's my friend, regardless of what you say!"

He smirks. It's never good when he smirks.

"I had a feeling you'd probably respond like that." He takes a step toward me. "So I've reached a decision." Another step.

"O-oh yeah?" And another. "And what decision did you reach?" He's getting awfully close…!

Before I know it, he's right in front of me. "I've decided that since you won't believe me that she's dangerous…" He bends down until his mouth is right by my ear.

"I'll just have to protect you from her myself."


	5. Once Upon a Dream

Makoto P.o.V:

"W-What?" I sputter, not so much from what he's said, but from the fact that his face is _way_ too close.

"You heard me." He whispers. "Since you won't protect yourself, I'm taking it upon myself to watch over you." He pulls away slightly so that his eyes are level with my own. "Be grateful that I'm wasting effort on you."

I hear a commotion from the hallway, and Byakuya straightens himself to his full height. He turns and walks to the other side of the dining hall, but not before shooting me one last devilish smirk.

" _What an idiot!"_ I internally fume. _"I don't need protecting, I can handle myself just fine!"_ Even as I think this though, I can't shake the warm feeling in my gut that formed from his words.

Byakuya Togami is by no means a nice guy. Even though he's changed a lot since I've met him, calling him nice would be like calling a hippo _small_. Funny, but not accurate. So for him to say something like that to me of all people… I can still feel the heat in my cheeks.

I shake my head in an attempt to get rid of the blush before people can see, but I stop when a very flustered Mondo busts through the door with an even more flustered Chihiro under his arm. Before I can even ask what's going on, Sakura nearly kicks the door off of its hinges.

"Let go of her, you cretin!" She shouts, looking ready to put him through a wall. I decide to intervene before something bad happens.

"Woah woah, hang on a minute Sakura! What's going on?" I say, stepping in front of Mondo and Chihiro. "Why are you chasing him?"

"This animal had her alone in the men's room!" She says, seething. "Who knows what deplorable acts he was forcing her to commit...!"

"H-hey now, I already told you that it wasn't anything like that-!" Mondo says, trying to catch his breath.

She cuts him off. "Lies! If it were true, why is she trying so desperately to hold back tears!?" She says with an increasingly dangerous aura emanating from her. I turn back to look at Chihiro to see that he really was close to going into a full on sobbing fit. "It's obvious that you did something to her!"

"Or maybe she's fucking like this because we're being chased by a muscle-bound psycho bitch!" Mondo yells, giving her the finger with the hand that isn't holding Chihiro to him.

"You are the only muscle-bound psychopath here!" Sakura says in response, seething. "I'll be sure to beat you so badly that you won't look at a girl the same way ever again!"

Before Mondo can reply, I yell out. "Okay, stop it now!" I say in a voice that surprises even me. This gets them both to stop. Even Byakuya turns my way with a raised eyebrow.

I turn to Sakura. "Instead of beating the crap out of him, why don't we all calm down and listen to what Chihiro has to say about all of this?" She pauses a moment before nodding her assent, and I walk over to Chihiro and Mondo.

"Mondo, can you let Chihiro down please?" Without saying anything, he bends down enough for Chihiro's feet to touch the ground and lets go of his waist. With both feet firmly on the ground, he grabs the hem of his skirt and looks down.

"Now Chihiro, can you please explain what happened?" I say in as calm of a voice as I can. He looks up at me with watery eyes and I offer him a smile.

"W-well…" He begins. "It's all my fault this happened. I dragged Mondo to the bathroom because he hurt his hands really badly trying to pull off one of the metal plates, and I wanted to get them cleaned up…" I look to Mondo and he holds up both of his hands, which are wrapped tightly with a cloth of some sort. Chihiro sniffles and continues. "As we were leaving, Sakura saw us. She got so angry! I wanted to say something, but she started yelling at Mondo right off the bat, and I just…couldn't. I'm so sorry!" At this point tears are freely falling down his face, and I look behind my shoulder to see Sakura approaching.

"Chihiro… I am truly sorry." She hands him a napkin, and he gratefully accepts it. "I should not have assumed that he was doing anything wrong, it is my fault for jumping to conclusions." She then turns to Mondo. "I must apologize to you as well, Mondo. Forgive my sudden outburst." With that, she bows deeply to them both.

Chihiro is the first to say something. "I-It's okay Sakura." She looks up and he offers her a small smile. "I know you meant well."

"Well…" Mondo says. "I guess I forgive ya too. If I saw some punk hauling a chick out of the bathroom, I'd probably assume the same thing as you." He then glares at her. "But if there's one thing you need to know about me, it's that I'd never force anyone to do something like that. It's fucked up."

Saying this, he offers her a hand. She straightens herself and takes it, giving him a small smile. "Right. I will do better not to pre-judge people from now on."

He grins back at her. "Damn straight you will!" And with that, they shake hands. "But man, I hafta ask ya, how did you get so jacked? What's your secret?"

She crosses her arms and smiles. "I'll only share my techniques if you share yours. Clearly whatever you're doing is working out very well for you."

As they make their way across the dining hall to discuss workout techniques, I can't help but think how funny it is that Mondo can go from hating someone to liking them so quickly. _"I guess it's an admirable trait…?"_ As I stare dubiously at the odd pair, I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Uhm… Makoto?" I look behind me to see Chihiro looking at me. "Do you think we could talk for a second…?"

"Sure." I say with a smile and turn towards him fully. "What is it?"

Fidgeting slightly in a way that I can only describe as cute, he speaks. "I want to thank you for what you did. I would have hated for Mondo and Sakura to get into a fight on my behalf, and it's thanks to you that it didn't happen…"

"Well, it was only because you told Sakura what really happened Chihiro. I wouldn't have been able to stop them if they actually had started fighting." I say, waving him off. "I didn't really do much."

He holds his fist to his chest and speaks. "But you did! I wouldn't have been able to say anything at all if you hadn't given me a chance!" He looks at me with a serious expression. "It's amazing how tough you were!"

I scratch the back of my head. "How about we just say we're both tough? Me for stopping them, and you for telling her the truth?" I offer with a small smile. It's obvious I'm not going to be able to convince him that he helped otherwise.

He looks hesitant for a minute before agreeing. "Alright. We're both tough then." He beams up at me, and I grin back at him. He really is just too cute.

Just as I'm about say something else, something occurs to me. "Hey, Chihiro? Wasn't Hina with Sakura?"

He tilts his head to the side. "I think so… but I don't think she followed us when Sakura began her chase."

"Huh. I wonder where she is then…?"

* * *

Hina's P.o.V:

"Sakura? Sakuraaa?" I call. Huh. I wonder where she went?

I was following her for a while when she started chasing that big guy, but I lost her when I spaced out for a minute… boo.

With nothing better to do, I go back to the dorms. Sakura and I were looking around there earlier, and I saw a room with my name on it. I wanna go check it out!

As I dash through the school and make my way into the dorm area, I pause by the dining hall when I hear yelling. "Guess I found her!" I giggle. "I'll go talk to her after I look at my room first, though! It sounds like she has the situation under control!"

I dash down the hall where all the rooms are, but collide with someone just as I'm about to get to my room.

"Ooof!" I squeak when my butt hits the floor. Who the heck ran into me!? I look up to find out the answer and see the red-headed guy sprawled out on the floor.

"Ahh man, what the hell!?" He yells, clutching his head.

I jump up to help him. "Sorry, red-head guy! I wasn't watching where I was going." I offer him a hand and he takes it. "Are you alright?"

He dusts off his pants. "Yeah I'm all right- wait. Did you just call me 'red-head guy'?"

I scratch the back of my head. "Errrr. Yeah?"

He smacks his forehead. "My name is Leon! Did you seriously forget Hina?" He looks at me, exasperated.

"I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to forget! I'll memorize it right now!" I start tracing the letters of his name into my hand.

He quirks an eyebrow. "What are you doing now?"

I roll my eyes at him. "Isn't it obvious!? If you write someone's name down three times, you're sure to remember it!" Saying this, I continue to trace the letters until I've done it three times, and he gives me a dumbstruck look.

"Does that _seriously_ help you remember...?"

"Well yeah!" I chirp. "If it didn't, why would I keep doing it?" He shoots me the kind of look that says "what are you, crazy?" before continuing.

"Whatever… why were you in such a damn hurry anyway?"

"Oh yeah!" I say, remembering. "I was gonna go check out my room before meeting up with Sakura in the dining hall… what were _you_ doing?" I give him a dubious look.

"I just got done looking at my room, actually. It's nothing special, but I'm sorta surprised that it actually has some of my stuff in there." He says, scratching the back of his head. "Like stuff I hadn't even brought with me earlier."

My eyes widen in surprise. "Really!? I wonder how they managed to pull that off…?"

"I dunno girlie, but what I do know is that I'm _starving_. I'm gonna head to the caf." He starts to walk off, but I stop him.

"Hey, mind if I come with ya?"

He looks confused for a second, but nods. "I thought you were gonna check out your room though?"

"Well I was gonna…" I shoot him a serious look. "But something more important has come up."

"That being…?"

"Donuts." I deadpan.

…

"What?" He says slack jawed.

"Donuts!" I repeat. "Are there any donuts here!? I might not survive here if they don't have any!" I say, dead serious.

"Er…" he starts. "Couldn't you just make some if there aren't any?"

" **No!** " I shout. "The last time I did ended with my kitchen being on fire!" I grab his hand and drag him along. "Come on, come on! I've gotta know…!"

"Ow..! Hey Hina, let go of my wrist!"

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

As I chat happily with Chihiro, all of the others start to filter in slowly but surely. The last two to arrive are Hina, who is looking oddly determined, and Leon, who is currently being dragged along by his wrist. Chihiro and I share a look of confusion, and just as I'm about to disregard it, I hear Hina shout.

"Oh thank **_god!_** "

She darts out of the kitchen still dragging Leon and shouts at us. "Don't worry everyone!" She says, grinning happily and holding her and Leon's hands up in the air. The look on his face is a cross of being exasperated and irritated. "We have donuts!"

"Upupupu, you all have more than donuts girlie!" Monokuma says, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. We all jump to attention. "The kitchen is fully stocked with all of the freshest and finest ingredients on the market, all of which are delivered on a weekly to daily basis, depending on what it is!" He cheers.

"Are the donuts daily!?" She asks, shooting the most intense look possible at Monokuma. Is her mouth foaming?

Oddly enough, he seems to be disturbed at this. "…Yeah, they are!" I hear him mumble something as he turns around. "At least now they are..."

Huh.

"Well, now that _that_ disturbing display is over with," Celes says, breaking the stunned silence. "Why don't we all share what we've found out?"

"Well," I start. "Byakuya and I managed to convince Monokuma to open the bath house up!" I say, grinning. Of course they don't know the actual reason we had it opened, so I have to act excited about it.

"Really bro?" Mondo asks, amazed. "That's awesome! What's all in there?"

"Well," I start. "It's actually really big! When you first walk in there's an area full of lockers so you can change, and then there's a door that leads into a massive bath! Plus as you go farther in, there's a sauna for us to use!" I say with feigned excitement. Of course I already knew what was in there, so it wasn't nearly as cool as it was the first time. Everyone else seems excited at least.

Some more so than others.

"Uhuhu… a communal bath you say?" Hifumi starts. "Sounds interesting! Very interesting indeed! I-"

With a completely neutral expression, Kyoko cuts in before he can continue. "I suggest we impose a bathing schedule. All in favor?"

The 'I's' were near unanimous.

Hifumi looks like a kicked puppy. "What? Did it really look like I was going to do something bad? I wasn't!" He then strikes a pose. " _My_ interests lie only in the two-dimensional!"

Ignoring him, she continues. "The girl's official bathing times will be from four to six, and the guy's will be from six to eight. Any other time is free game. There will be no mercy to be had if someone of the opposite gender enters during a designated time. Does this sound acceptable?"

The responses were all different forms of assent, with the exception of a pouty 'whatever' from Hifumi.

"Very well, it's official then." She nods. "What else?"

As they all begin to relay information that I've heard before, I can't help but think about how much more relaxed the atmosphere is without Byakuya antagonizing everyone. _"Around this time the last time I went through this, he was as much of a flaming ass as possible to everyone..."_

Of course he still _is_ an ass, just a more tactful and considerate one.

" _It really is calm right now though."_ I think. " _It's not really gonna last long, so I should enjoy it while it lasts."_

But of course as soon as I think that, Celes' voice breaks me out of my thoughts.

"I think that some of you may not have realized the gravity of the situation we're in." She says flatly. "From what we've all discovered, it would seem that we are effectively trapped in here, for an indeterminate amount of time. There is no way to escape."

And just like that, all of the playful banter stops.

"Not yet." I say, in an effort to restore some hope. "This is only the first floor guys… we may find out more if we gain access to the other areas of the school!"

"And how," Celes says, "Would you propose we go about that?"

This stops me short. "I'm not sure… but surely he won't keep us confined on a single floor is this really _is_ the academy. He'll probably get bored with us doing the same thing all the time!"

"I suppose you may have a point." She allows. "But it still does not change the fact that we're stuck here at this point in time, and for what seems to be a long time to come." She pauses and casts her unusual red gaze across the crowd before speaking again. "If we are to survive here, we must adapt to our situation. That's the one fact we need to keep in-"

Mondo scoffs at this, effectively cutting the goth off. "Well, if you hadn't noticed girlie, that's what we were _sorta_ doing until you went full-out bitchface on us." This seems to catch her off guard, as her eyes widen just a fraction before she falls silent for a moment.

"So you're all truly okay with staying here?" She asks, with an edge in her voice.

"Well, I mean," Hina starts. "It's not like it's all bad here… at least we'll be comfortable until we really _can_ find a way to get out of here."

"I agree!" Taka shouts. "As prisoners, we could have much worse accommodations!"

But just then, a normally silent Toko speaks up. "W-well, you all seem to be forgetting that there _is_ a way to leave here…"

I fight the urge to smack my hand on my forehead. _"Damn it, Toko! Why did you have to bring that up!?"_

Just as everyone begins to rev up for a heated debate about whether or not someone would actually murder someone else, Byakuya's cool voice breaks through the tension.

"Are you stupid? Why would anyone do something so desperate as to commit murder for such an obscure clause?"

A blush covers her face, and her mouth curls into a creepy smile. "D-don't call me stupid."

Sayaka speaks up this time, tilting her head to the side. "What do you mean by obscure?" Byakuya doesn't even attempt to cover his sneer at her words.

"Have you even stopped to think about what would happen to a blackened if their crime is discovered? It would seem that this "graduation clause" is heavily reliant on the fact that you _aren't_ found out. Why would anyone risk taking another person's life when we haven't even seen if there was another way to escape?"

This stops everyone dead in their tracks. He continues.

"The fact of the matter is that _none_ of us should act rashly, because _none_ of us know the consequences. Anyone who would stoop so low as to do that is not only brain-dead, but disgusting as well." He finishes with that, and takes a moment to push up his glasses.

" _Damn."_ I think, impressed. _"It's pretty nice to see him being an ass in a constructive way... for once."_ I decide to help push this topic of conversation along.

"I guess that makes sense." I say, pretending to consider his words. "If we all just remain rational about this, I'm sure we'll find a way out without anything bad happening."

"Damn straight!" Mondo yells. "There's no point in doing something that shitty! Besides, that's exactly what that asshole bear wants us to do!"

Chihiro is the next to speak. "Y-yeah! If someone does end up doing _that_ , then they'd be really weak-willed! We've all got to be strong right now!"

Celes' voice cuts in. "In that case, do you all mind if I make a suggestion? A self-imposed rule if you will." She pauses for a moment. "I feel like we should all limit our activity during "nighttime." Most people will be asleep, so to eliminate any… _temptation_ to act rashly, we should all make an effort to stay in our rooms."

I'm the first to speak. "I don't have an issue with it. All anyone should be doing around that time is sleeping anyway, so there really isn't much reason to leave your room." I finish, nodding.

"Well, I mean… I guess it would be okay." Mukuro says, fiddling with the ends of her hair. "It's reasonable enough."

Taka is the next to reply. "Very well! On behalf of everyone else here, I agree as well!" He doesn't seem to notice the dubious glares that get sent his way.

With a giggle, Celes replies. "Very well. Let it be known as an unofficial rule from now on." She then turns to leave.

Chihiro speaks up. "Uhm, Celes? Where are you going?" She turns back and offers him a smile, though it's not kind.

"It's almost nighttime now. I'd like to shower before the water cuts off for the night." She then sweeps out of the room without another word.

Mukuro stretches her arms behind her head. "That's probably not a bad idea. I think I'll go shower too."

"Very well!" Taka shouts. "For now, this meeting is adjourned! We all shall reconvene in the morning to continue our search!"

With that, we all exit the dining room.

* * *

As I enter my room, I dully note that there isn't anything different about it. Of course.

I flop down on the bed and run over what had happened at the meeting. Surprisingly enough, Byakuya's behavior seemed to affect everyone _positively_ this time.

" _I guess it makes sense though. Without having some pompous ass agitating everyone and talking about murdering someone every five seconds, it's a lot easier to remain optimistic."_

I pop off of the bed to go take a shower, but just then Monokuma appears out of nowhere, startling me.

"Hold on there Mr. Makoto!" He says. "Have you tried to get into your bathroom yet?"

"No I haven't. Why?" I ask with feigned innocence. He then proceeds to say that my door is broken, and "teaches" me the trick to opening it.

"Upupupu! It's so ironic that the Ultimate Luckster is the only one who got stuck with a bad door! It's positively leaving me in stitches!" Before I get a chance to comment on the bad stuffed animal pun, he vanishes.

I sigh. _"Whatever."_ I make my way to the bathroom and take a quick shower. Once I'm done I quickly put on clothes and lay down to sleep.

As I'm dozing off, one lone thought circles around my head…

" _What's going to happen next?"_

* * *

The next several days are actually completely uneventful. The first motive is taking longer to arrive than last time, and I can't help but feel a strange mix of boredom and anxiousness.

With nothing better to do, I spent my time getting to know all of my friends all over again. I ended up spending a little time with a lot of people, but most of my time was split between either Mondo, Chihiro or Sayaka.

For some reason, after I helped him out of the Sakura situation, Chihiro seemed to want to hang out with me quite a bit. We ended up becoming pretty close… Not that we weren't good friends last time, but this time we ended up bonding a lot more in a much shorter period. Instead of the awkward wave I would receive in passing last time, he'd openly grin and come over to talk. He's a really sweet guy once he opens up.

On the flip side of that however, my time with Sayaka was dull at best. Most of it was repeats of what we talked about before, and what wasn't was her talking about her career and bandmates. Ordinarily I would think it would be interesting, but most of it was gossip and her complaining about her manager. She seemed... _different_ from the way I remembered her.

And Mondo…was Mondo. Never a dull moment.

There were a few people I made a conscious effort to avoid however… Ever since the incident in the dining hall with Byakuya, I'd get this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I'd try talking to him. Needless to say it wasn't comfortable… but not nearly as uncomfortable as when I tried to talk to Kyoko.

How do you handle talking to your best friend when they don't remember the fact that you _are_ best friends? All of the walls that were broken, all the trust built… just gone. I just couldn't handle it… so I'd duck out whenever she was nearby.

" _I'm such a wuss_!" I think somberly. _"Not even being able to talk to your best friend?! What's it matter if she can't remember?"_

"Hey Makoto? Are you alright?" I get snapped out of my thoughts by Chihiro waving his hand in front of my face.

"Ahaha, yeah sorry! I sorta spaced out for a minute there didn't I?" I reply, shooting him a lopsided grin. He smiles back.

"Well pay attention! We have to keep score you know!" He pokes my side.

I laugh. "I know, I know! Mondo would be on our asses if we messed up."

Right now Chihiro and I are sitting on the bleachers of the gym watching a very heated dodgeball game. Taka had suggested it as a way to vent our frustrations from not being able to escape, and from the looks of it people are _very_ frustrated. On the right side is Mondo's team, consisting of Kyoko, Sakura, Hiro, Hina, and Toko. On the left is Leon, Celes, Hifumi, Sayaka, and Mukuro, who are all being led by Taka. How these team arrangements came about I'll never know, but what matters right now is the fact that they seem to be evenly matched.

The weird thing about all this is that Monokuma is sitting in a large referee's chair across the gym from us. When asked what he was doing here, he just waved us off and said that it was the headmaster's job to monitor student activities. Yeah right!

" _He probably just wants to see someone's teeth get knocked out."_ I think with a slight grimace. _"Junko probably just wanted a front row seat to the carnage… though thinking about it, it's sad that I'm thinking of them as two separate things…"_

I turn to Chihiro to distract myself from those thoughts. "Ya know Chihiro, I don't think this is gonna end anytime soon." I say scratching the back of my head. I watch Mondo drill a dodgeball into Hifumi's face and narrowly miss getting hit by Leon. "They're sort of at a deadlock."

He giggles and nods in agreement. "It sorta seems like that, huh? Maybe we should go to the dining hall and get some refreshments for everyone! I don't really think they're going to notice our absence." He winces when Mukuro gets Toko out with one to the gut.

"Alright then, let's go! I was getting restless anyway." I say, standing. I stretch my hands behind my head. Chihiro smiles at me and follows me out of the gym.

We chat happily as we make our way through the school. After a short walk, we finally reach the dorm area.

"What kinds of things should we get?" I ask. "Nothing too heavy, right?"

He puts his finger to his lips and tilts his head to the side. "Ordinarily I'd agree, but Hina would probably throw a fit if we didn't get her any donuts."

I shudder at the thought of a donut-less Hina. "Okay yeah. Definitely donuts." Chihiro only laughs at my reaction as we turn into the dining hall.

When we enter, I see Byakuya sitting off in the corner reading with a steaming cup of tea in front of him. Against my better judgment, I call out to him. "Hey Byakuya! What are you doing in here all alone?"

When he notices our arrival he snaps the book shut and stands. He walks over to talk to us.

"I'm taking advantage of the silence." He sighs. "It's hard to read when you're constantly surrounded by idiots shouting and screaming." He runs a hand through his hair. "Are they almost done beating each other to a pulp?"

"It doesn't look like it." Chihiro says, nervous. "They've been locked in a dead heat for a while. No one can seem to knock all of the others out. Makoto and I decided to grab snacks for everyone once they were finished..." He offers Byakuya a nervous smile.

"Really?" He looks at me, surprised. "You stopped watching allegedly cute girls long enough to listen to someone?" He quirks an eyebrow.

Okay, so he's still bitter about the whole Sayaka thing. No biggie. "We already talked about this Byakuya." I say, feeling the tic forming on my forehead. "I know what I'm doing."

"Evidently not." He says with a glare. "You're so caught up by the charms of the female physique that you don't listen to anyone around you."

Okay, so something else must be bothering him too… He hasn't been this bitchy for a while. With my annoyance growing, I retort. "What I'm doing has nothing to do with looks- She's. My. Friend."

Chihiro watches our exchange, completely lost. "Uhm, what-"

Before he can even finish his sentence, Byakuya talks over him, his voice rising slightly. "Oh please. The only reason you even talk to people is because they're either much bigger than you and can put you through a wall, or because they're a cute girl."

" _Don't tell me that he's pissed over me avoiding him!?"_ I think, anger rising. _"After what he pulled on me, he should have damn well expected it! Who the hell does he think he is!?"_

Before I can even think about the words that are coming out of my mouth, I yell out.

"Oh really!? Then why do I talk to Chihiro, huh? He's not bigger than me _or_ a girl!"

…

My eyes widen as I process what I just said. I turn towards Chihiro in alarm to see that he's standing there completely shocked.

"W-what did you just say…?"


	6. Gotta Catch 'em All!

Makoto's P.o.V:

"W-what did you just say…?"

Chihiro looks at me on the verge of crying, dumbstruck. _"Holy shit, what did I just do!?"_

"Uhm, I'm sorry Chihiro, I just sorta misspoke!" I say, trying to undo the damage I caused. He shakes his head furiously.

"No! No you didn't, you _know_! You said it without any hesitation! How do you know about that..!?" He retorts, voice shaking. "There isn't any possible way I let it slip!"

With a guilty look on his face, Byakuya tries to intervene. "Look, Chihiro, if you just calm down for a moment-" He cuts him off.

"I will _not_ calm down!" He says, with tears freely falling down his cheeks. "You obviously know too! Why… Why do you both know about me?!" He tries and fails to suppress a sob, and tightly clutches his skirt, shaking.

I run my hand over my forehead. _"Jeez… I just royally messed this up."_

I share a look with Byakuya and realize that there's only one way that we're going to be able to get out of this… and it's not gonna be pretty.

I walk over to Chihiro who's gone into a full on sobbing fit. I place a hand on his shoulder and he launches himself into my chest, clinging to me. I give him a loose hug in return and let him cry for a few more moments before I peel him away.

"We obviously need to explain ourselves to you…" I say with a sigh. "But we can't talk here. Come with us for a bit, please?" He looks hesitant for a moment before nodding, and I lead him out of the dining hall.

* * *

As we enter the bath house, Chihiro shoots me a questioning look. "Why in here?"

"Well…" I start. "There aren't any security cameras here. I know Monokuma was already in the gym, but it's just a precaution just in case she stops controlling him."

He just looks even more confused now. "Wait, I get that we don't want the mastermind watching us… but what does that have to do with them controlling Monokuma? And... she? How do you know they're a girl?"

"We'll get to that." Byakuya says. "But before we start anything, I need you to promise us that you'll remain as calm as possible. What we're about to tell you is nothing if not near impossible to believe, but it is the truth." As he says this he levels a glare on Chihiro, who mutely nods in response.

"Right." I say with a nod. "Since there really isn't any good way to lead into this, I think I'll just say it..." I take a deep breath. "Byakuya and I have been through this once already."

The stunned look I was expecting from him appears on his face. "What? What do you mean you've been through this already?"

"It's just as he said." Byakuya says, nodding. "He and I have already survived this "school life of mutual killing" once before. We don't know why, but just as we were about to escape, we were thrown back to the beginning of all of this."

I nod and add on. "But for some reason only me and him remembered anything!" I pause, sighing. "It was great to see you all alive again, but it's been hell not letting it slip… Especially knowing what's supposed to happen-"

"Wait a moment!" Chihiro says, cutting me off. "How could you possibly expect me to believe that? What you're talking about has no scientific basis!"

Byakuya glares at him. "Your proof is standing right in front of you. Do you want to know the reason we convinced that bear to open up the bath house? It's because we already knew about there not being any cameras in here. It gave Makoto and I a place to talk without catching her attention." He sighs and continues. "Not to mention it's how we were aware of your... secret."

"Plus," I add "Its how I knew about the bomb inside of Monokuma. Last time Kyoko is the one who warned Mondo, so I wouldn't have known otherwise."

He bites the inside of his cheek and stays silent for a few moments before replying. "If I… If I were to believe what you were saying… That you really have gone through this before… then there are a few questions I have."

Byakuya scoffs. "Only a few?" I shoot him a look and turn to Chihiro, waiting for his questions.

"W-well to start," He says. "Whoever's controlling Monokuma… they can't watch the surveillance cameras at the same time they're controlling him?"

"That's right." I nod. "Up on the fourth floor, there's an entire room dedicated to controlling Monokuma. Apparently his system really _is_ complex."

He nods at this. "Alright then, that makes sense." He takes a breath. "Next question... How did we all get trapped here? We were only out for an hour, so how could all of these modifications have taken place in such a short amount of time?"

I clear my throat in preparation for a long explanation, and begin to tell him about how it _wasn't_ actually only an hour, but that we had two whole years of our lives wiped out from our memories. I then proceed to tell him about the Tragedy, and that we were actually the ones to modify the school to protect ourselves. Of course he experiences the same panic and disbelief that we initially did, but he quickly calms down.

"A-alright." He says, wiping tears from his eyes. "So... assuming all of that is true, how did the mastermind manage to take over the school?"

Byakuya is the one to explain this time. "We aren't sure of how she did it ourselves… what we do know is that she and her sister were actually in our class, and that this all was planned from the very beginning… The Tragedy, the mutual killings… all of it."

"So... w-wait!" Chihiro says, panicked. "Does that mean the mastermind is with us right now?

I sigh. "Well… yes and no." He raises an eyebrow in question. "Her sister is actually posing as her right now, but what she doesn't know is that she's going to be killed in order to delay us from finding out who the mastermind is later…"

"Well then, who is she?" He asks, looking scared.

I look off to the side. "Junko Enoshima. Her sister's name is Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier… she's the one we're all getting to "know" right now." I use air quotes for emphasis.

He looks shocked. "Junko is!? But why?"

"Her motivations are to cause us and everyone else to despair as much as possible." Byakuya replies simply. "She watched in amusement as people fought and killed each other off, and reveled in the sorrow each death caused."

Chihiro remains silent for a few moments before asking a question so quietly I almost didn't hear it. "How many of us ended up dying?"

I bite my lip. "...Only six of us survived." I mumble "Me, Byakuya, Kyoko, Hiro, Toko, and Hina… everyone else was either killed or executed."

This information hits him like a ton of bricks. "Executed!? Is that what happens when someone gets caught…?"

I nod my head, frowning.

"It was awful. Watching your friends die off one by one with no way to stop it…" I trail off, and glare hard at the floor. "It was pure _hell_. But I vowed to live on and escape for everyone who lost their lives… though I almost didn't."

After several beats of silence, he nervously asks a question I was hoping to avoid. "So… who ended up killing me?"

I shoot him a sad look. He didn't even consider being executed. "I don't think I should tell you that."

He looks at me, agitated. "But why not? Shouldn't I avoid them so it doesn't happen again? I wouldn't want someone to die because of me!"

"Because it wasn't his fault." I shake my head. "Your death was the only one that I can honestly say that someone regretted. Once we fingered him, he came clean and accepted his punishment." Chihiro looks up at me, stunned. "He only did it in a fit of rage because of the motive Monokuma gave us… I've already been thinking of ways to prevent it, because it should be the easiest to stop."

"Motive…?" He asks, holding back fresh tears. "So Junko is going to give us incentive to murder each other...? That's… just so cruel."

"It is." Byakuya says. "The first motive should be given to us very soon… but we're going to try our best to prevent the first murder from ever happening. It's my theory that Junko will get bored with us and reveal herself if no murders occur… so I'd like to prevent as much death as possible."

Chihiro seems to accept this, but then he twitches as something occurs to him. "What do you mean "as possible"..?"

With a sigh, I run my hand through my hair. "Remember how I told you that last time it was Kyoko that warned Mondo about the bomb, and not me?" He nods. "We think that people may not react to things the exact same way they did last time…"

He considers this for a moment before replying. "I… think I understand that. It's like a visual novel style game; the different choices you make effect how the characters around you reply." He nods slightly. "So it would make sense that people would react differently to certain stimuli given the chance. They wouldn't necessarily have to make the same choices, or maybe those choices wouldn't even occur to them?"

I let out a nervous laugh. "Ehehe… I guess that's one way to look at it?"

Chihiro tilts his head to the side. "I think I may understand the gist of it at this point…" He fists his hands together, letting out a shaky breath. He looks to be on the verge of tears again, so I offer him a tissue. He takes it. "I'm sorry… It's just a lot to swallow at once…" He sniffles. "Do you think we can save the person who killed me? And everyone else?"

I offer him a small smile. "I think our odds are better now that you know, in all honesty. The more the merrier, right?" He blows his nose and offers me a teary smile.

"I think I should go back to my room for a while…" He says, sighing. "I still have a few things I want to ask, but I'll save them for later, I don't think I can handle much else right now..." I nod.

"That's probably a good idea." I grin over to him, relieved he didn't react nearly as badly as I anticipated. "If anyone asks, I'll say that you weren't feeling well and wanted to lie down for a while."

"Thank you..." He smiles slightly and pulls me into a quick hug. "Thank you so much… for not hating me." Before I can reply, he darts out of the room.

I stare at the doorway for a minute after he leaves, until I hear Byakuya clear his throat. "Ah… Makoto?" I turn to face him fully. "I must apologize for my actions earlier… had I not been so agitated, we might not have needed to go through that..."

I can only shake my head at him. "No, I'm the one that's gotta apologize." I say with a sigh. "I shouldn't have been avoiding you like I was. I was just… being a child, I guess."

He quirks an eyebrow. "About what?"

" _Oh come on, don't ask me that!"_ I feel the heat pooling in my cheeks.

"Well it's just that… whenever I tried to talk to you…" I trail off. Is he really gonna make me admit something I don't even understand myself!?

"Spit it out." He says, irritated.

Apparently he is. I mumble the answer hoping I can get away with it, but it doesn't get past him.

"Speak louder." He demands. Fed up, I speak at a borderline yell.

"I _said,_ every time I tried to talk to you I'd get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach!" I plop down on the bench and sigh. "It's been like this ever since you told me that you'd protect me that day in the dining hall..."

He looks stunned for a moment, before a fiendish smirk works his way on to his lips.

"Oh?" He says, evil glint in his eye. "What kind of "weird feeling?" You'll need to be a little more specific for me."

"I-I dunno!" I say, indignant. He looks at me for a moment silently expecting an answer. I groan and reply. "I seriously don't _know_! If I had to describe it, it's kind of like the feeling I get whenever Sayaka smiles at me, but… I dunno, worse?" At these words, he falls silent as he contemplates something.

" _Ah man, this sucks!"_ I scream internally _. "He's gonna make a complete fool out of me at this rate! I know that was a bad explanation, but I don't know how to describe it any other way… ugh. I wish I knew what it was so I could take care of the problem! I don't want to have to ignore my friend over something so stupid…"_

Suddenly, I'm pulled out of my thoughts by a short laugh from Byakuya. "Huh?" Byakuya doesn't laugh… right?

"So you say it's a strange feeling, right?" He smirks. "In the pit of your stomach?"

"Well… yeah. I wouldn't know how else to describe it." Didn't I already say this? I shoot him a confused look as he walks over to the bench and sits down beside me.

"How bad is it right now?" He asks in a smooth voice.

"Uhm… not that bad I guess? It's there, but kinda quiet?" Where the hell is he going with this?

His smirks grows a little bit as he scoots close enough to me so that our thighs are touching. "And now?" He says in a low voice.

I quickly turn my head away, face blazing. "I-It's a little worse now." I quickly glance back to gauge his reaction. He looks absolutely delighted, the bastard.

"Well then..." He starts "Let's just see what happens when I do… this." I'm only left wondering what he means for a split second before he quickly and on purpose lowers his head… and licks my neck.

I let out a noise that I didn't know I was capable of making and my hand flies to my mouth. _"W-what the hell!?"_ I quickly hop off of the bench and look down at Byakuya, who has the absolute most arrogant smirk playing on his face at the moment.

"I've discovered your problem Makoto." He quickly brushes off his pants and stands. "You want me."

"W-what?" I sputter, dumbstruck. What does he mean by that?

"You heard me." He says, crossing his arms. "It's become clear to me now that you're attracted to me, even though you yourself haven't realized it yet."

I look at him with wide eyes. "I'm attracted to you? B-but you're a guy! And I'm a guy too!"

He rolls his eyes. "Obviously." He takes a step forward. "Do you need me to do something else to prove it to you?" He whispers in a low voice, smirking.

He's close. Way, way too close. "I-I've gotta go." I fumble out, head spinning. I try to get out of there as quickly as I can, but I end up running into the door frame before actually making it out of there. Ignoring the pain, I rush into the school area, trying to put as much distance between Byakuya and I as possible.

Once past the classrooms, I notice something red dripping on the ground. I touch just below my nose and discover that I've gotten a wicked nosebleed. _"Shit."_ I dash to the bathroom to grab a couple of paper towels before continuing my way to the gym. I really can't be alone with my thoughts right now.

As I enter the gymnasium, the scene I walk in to is nothing short of... a battlefield. The floorboards are full of holes, the podium has been smashed to bits, and the bleachers don't appear to be usable anymore. "What the hell!?" As I survey the gym, most of my friends are either sitting or lying around the floor, drenched in sweat.

I walk over to Monokuma, who's sitting in the miraculously still intact referee's chair. "What happened in here…?"

He pats my shoulder from his spot in the chair and wipes away an imaginary tear. "Oh Makoto my boy, it was spectacular! After you and Chihiro had left, all hell broke loose! Mondo accused Leon of not going out after he had hit him, and they started duking it out. Pretty soon the teams were disbanded, and it was a free for all of dodgeball carnage!" He puts both his paws on his cheeks. "Upupupu, I'm so delighted by the display that I'm not even mad about having to repair the gym!"

…

I don't even know what's going on anymore!

"Hey bro!" I hear a shout from behind me. I turn to see Mondo waving at me from across the gym. He's only slightly worse for wear, and much better off than most of the people sprawled out all over the place. I make my way across the gym, accidentally stepping on an unconscious Toko on the way.

"Dude," I start, shaking my head. "What the hell did you all _do_? The gym looks like a bomb dropped in it!"

He brushes his slightly sagging pompadour out of the way. "Yea-ah… we sorta got carried away." He looks at me and points to my nose, where I'm still holding the paper towels. "How the hell did that happen bro? You weren't even in here!"

I look to the side and scratch my head, grateful that my face is already flushed from the nose bleed. "…I sorta wasn't looking where I was going and ran into a door." He looks at me for a second before slapping his leg and letting out a laugh.

"You serious? How the fuck did you manage that?" I only shrug and shake my head in response. "Well whatever, little nose bleed isn't gonna get my bro down." He only stays silent for a moment more before looking around the gym. "Hey, where's Chihiro? Wasn't she with ya?"

"Oh…" I say, biting my cheek. "She wasn't feeling too well, so she went off to her room to rest for a while."

He looks my way concerned. "Is she okay? She didn't get hurt or nothin', right!?"

"No no!" I wave my hand frantically. "She really didn't feel well! I think being here is probably taking a toll on her health..."

He looks down and nods slightly at this. "I'm not surprised. It's been taking a fucking toll on all of us." He sighs and quickly hops to his feet. "Imma go check on her."

I look at him and tilt my head to the side. "But why? Wouldn't it be best to let her just sleep it off?"

He shoots me a grin. "Because I'm her hankie!" And with that, he darts out of the gym.

"… _Chihiro's hankie?"_

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V:

"Haaa-" I sigh as I step out of the shower. It was one of the most relaxing ones I've had in a while! It really helped to clear my head about what all Byakuya and Makoto told me about… I think.

With my towel still wrapped around my torso, I make my way to the dresser to put some clothes on. _"I'm not going to be going out for a while… so I think I'll go with something comfy."_ I pick out a pale blue tank top with frills on top and a matching pair of shorts. I throw the towel onto the table and quickly dress. Once I am, I hop on the bed and curl up in the covers.

" _It really is a lot to take in at once… I'm sort of surprised I even believe them."_ Of course, I don't really have a reason not to believe Makoto… especially since they both know about me.

I smile slightly to myself. _"That's right… he knows. He knows about the terrible lie I've been living, and yet… he still became my friend."_ I hug my pillow. _"He doesn't hate me!"_

With those thoughts in mind, I start to doze off… until a loud banging startles me awake.

"Hey Chihiro? You okay in there?" The loud voice calls through the speaker. My mind is still sorta hazy, but I stumble over to the door to answer it anyway. When I pull it open, the sight that greets me is a very sweaty Mondo.

"Oh my gosh, Mondo! You're covered in sweat!" I say hurriedly. "What happened?"

He only stares at me. "Uhm… Mondo?" I wave a hand in front of his face, and he suddenly jolts, with his face turning red.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't think you'd actually be asleep!" He says, turning away slightly.

"Oh it's no issue, I wasn't actually sleeping." I say, offering him a small smile. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, well, y'see…" He says, uncharacteristically nervous. "Makoto told me ya weren't feelin' too good, so I… I wanted to check on ya!"

"Ehehe… well thank you Mondo, it means a lot to me that you'd do that." I say, looking up at him. "But really, I'm fine! I was just dealing with some things is all."

"R-right." He says. For whatever reason, he won't meet my gaze. "Uh… ya know, if you want to talk about it, we can."

I consider telling him no for some pretty obvious reasons, but when I think about it... I don't really have to be specific… "If you don't mind." I say smiling up at him.

He grins at me, but quickly looks away again. "Nah, I don't mind… but I'd hate to get your room dirty with my sweat, so d'ya mind if I go shower and change real quick?"

"Of course not!" I say, beaming. "I don't mind waiting at all." With that he nods, and walks back towards his room.

While I wait, I can only wonder what has him acting so strangely. _"Did I say something odd?"_ I run through our conversation again in my head to see if I did, but nothing sticks out. _"What on earth is it then…?"_

I don't have to wait long, because in just a few minutes time he returns in his usual garb with his hair looking decidedly less saggy than it was before. I smile at him and open my door wide enough for him to enter. "Come on in."

He nods at me and walks through the door before plopping down on the bed. I close the door and walk over and sit next to him… and he _still_ isn't looking at me.

"Uh, Mondo? Why aren't you looking my way?" I ask, tilting my head to the side. He hesitates for a moment before answering me, still not meeting my eyes.

"It's… your clothes! Ya look good in em and all, but it's a bit...!" He all but yells, face red. It takes me only a moment to process what he said before my face turns even redder than his.

"I'm so sorry! So, so, so sorry!" I quickly jump off of the bed and make my way to the dresser and pull out a hoodie to cover myself with. It doesn't seem like he actually noticed anything, but it's still uncomfortable!

Once I have it on, I pad my way over to the bed and sit next to him, looking steadily at the floor. I know for a fact my face is still red. "I'm really sorry you had to see me like that." I repeat. "I forgot that I had my sleep clothes on…"

He shakes his head and grins at me. "It's alright girlie. I told you that you looked good in them, didn't I?"

I internally sigh. It's not like I want to look good in them! "Yeah you did…" I say, shaking my head.

He seems like he wants to question my reaction, but he lets it slide. "Well anyway, your official hankie is on duty! So lay it on me, what's got ya down?"

I twiddle my thumbs for a moment before answering. "Do you… have a secret? Like something that you wouldn't want anyone to ever know if you had the choice?"

A dark look passes over his face before he answers. "…I guess you could say that. What's a secret got to do with what you're feeling though?"

"Well… Makoto sorta figured out my secret." I say, not quite meeting his eyes.

"He did?" He asks, eyebrow raised. "Do I need to beat the crap outta him? Bro or not, if he made you cry-"

"Not at all!" I say, cutting him off. "Actually… he made me happier than I've been in a long time. He sorta knew about it from the beginning, but even so… he didn't hate me! He became my friend knowing what he does about me." I start to tear up a bit. "He really doesn't hate me…"

"Woah, hey hey, don't start crying now!" He quickly grabs a tissue and hands it to me. "I thought you said you were happy?"

"I am…" I say. "But… he's the first person in such a long time not to make fun of me or treat me badly for it! I-I don't know how to react…"

He sits and thinks for a few moments before he slings his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his chest. My cheeks turn slightly pink. "I may not know what your secret is, Chi… but what I do know is that if someone really is your bro, they'll take ya as you are." He nods to himself for a second before continuing. "If he really knew about your secret from the beginning, but still decided to be your friend, he's an incredible friend. The kind that people don't make too often."

"Yeah… he really is." I say smiling. "He's probably one of the best friends I've ever had."

We stay like that for a while longer before he finally speaks up again. "So… what exactly is your secret?" He asks, looking down at me. "It couldn't really be that huge, right?"

I shake my head. "It's something only my family and a couple of other people actually know about. I've never told anyone about it willingly…" I trail off for a moment before continuing. "But I want to tell everyone here." I say, looking up at him.

This catches him off guard. "Y-ya do? Really? Even me?"

"You especially!" I nod. "Next to Makoto, you're my best friend here!" I take a deep breath. "…I want to but… I need to get a little stronger before I can tell anyone." I say, hugging my arms to myself. "It's the only way I'm going to be able to do it."

He goes quiet for a while as he processes this information. "Get stronger huh…?" He echoes. "Maybe I ought to do a bit of that myself…" He mumbles.

"What?" I ask, having not heard what he said last. He only shakes his head at me and grins.

"Nothin. Hey, how about we go and get some grub huh?" I tilt my head in confusion, but agree anyway.

He grabs my hand and starts to lead me out the door, but I stop him. "A-ah, wait a second Mondo! I can't go out looking like this!" I say, motioning to the large sweatshirt that's currently covering most of my body.

He glances back at me and his cheeks immediately turn pink. "R-right! Shit, sorry! I'll just go out there and wait then!" He then dashes out the door, shutting it firmly behind him.

I can only smile in the direction he went.

"What a weird guy!"


	7. Digi-Armor, Energize!

Makoto's P.o.V:

I'm suddenly jolted out of my sleep by Monokuma's hellish voice ringing out over the intercom.

"Will all students please report to the gym? I repeat, will all students please report to the gym? I have something to tell you all, and I just know you're all gonna _love_ it!"

I sit up with a sigh. I have a feeling about what that announcement was... and it's not a good one. I glance down and see that I'm still wearing yesterday's clothes, and I sigh again. After Mondo had run off, I helped get everyone up from the gym floor and got them all to their rooms… though Sayaka was a little reluctant for me to go. I didn't really want to stay and talk though… I was really tired.

I'm pretty sure it was a combination of what happened yesterday and blood loss, but regardless of why I was so tired, I ended up just falling asleep immediately… and I sort of regret it. I quickly change into fresh clothing and open the door, only to see Byakuya standing out there waiting for me.

My face immediately goes hot. "H-hey Byakuya…" I say in greeting. "Er… any particular reason you're waiting for me…?"

"Obviously." He says, sighing. "You heard the announcement right?" He continues in a low voice. "I need to talk to you after you run off to comfort Sayaka, because I know you will." He finishes with a sneer. "It's extremely important."

"Okay…?" I nod, and he stalks of.

" _What the hell is with him…?"_ I think, slightly dazed. _"Is he gonna pretend what he did yesterday never happened? That's not cool!"_

But when I think of that, something occurs to me. What's it matter if he does pretend it didn't happen? Wouldn't it be better if he _did_?

" _Of course it would… right?"_ I can't help but feel it's not right though… to pretend it didn't happen. I smack my cheeks.

" _Now isn't the time to be thinking, stupid! I've gotta go to the gym!"_

Everyone else has already gathered into the gym by the time I arrive, and the atmosphere is tense. I walk into the middle of the crowd and stare up at the podium, waiting for Monokuma to appear. It doesn't take long.

He jumps up from behind the podium and strikes a pose. "Oh good, you've all finally arrived!" He says in his grating voice. "I must say, you all have gotta be the most dull people I've ever met! It's been like, five days! Why isn't someone dead yet!?"

"Because!" Taka shouts. "There is no way any of us would kill each other off! We all are much better than that!" Everyone else affirms this.

"Upupupupu!" He chortles, delighted he got the answer he expected. "Well well my children, you won't all be so confident once you see the lovely presents I've prepared for you! Think of them as… incentive." He puts his paws on his cheeks. "You'll find them all in the screening room. Hurry hurry now, I can't wait for you all to see them…!" And with that, he disappears.

"What on earth was all of that about!?" Mukuro asks, seemingly irritated. "He woke us up early for this?"

"It would probably be a good idea to go and see what he's left us." Celes puts her hand to her mouth. "Though we can all probably assume that it won't be something pleasant."

As we all filter out of the gym, I'm somewhat relieved that the motive is the same. It makes things much easier to deal with, and it makes it easier to assume the others will all be the same as well. Byakuya shoots me a look that makes me think that he may be thinking the same.

Once I reach the A/V room, I see the very same box that was there previously… filled with the very same DVDs.

"What's in the box, Makoto?" Sayaka looks nervous as she asks me.

"They're…DVDs." I say, trying to appear confused. "There's one for each of us… I guess we're supposed to watch them." I grab mine and hand Sayaka hers, before I go up to one of the consoles and pop in the video. As much as I don't want to see my home in ruins… I can't attract suspicion by not watching it.

As I watch it, I try to focus on the part where I can see Komaru and my parents. I really want to see them again… but I don't even know if they survived the Tragedy.

" _The only way I can find out is if I actually escape this time..."_ I think, irritated. My video quickly ends, and I look up to see that everyone else has watched theirs already.

"W-what the fuck was that!?" Mondo says. "That shit wasn't real, right?"

"Th-that…" Toko screeches out something incomprehensible. "I can't do this! Let me out of here r-right now!"

As the room quickly falls into discord, Kyoko remains unfazed. "I suppose this is what the bear meant by incentive. He's given us a reason to want to break out to increase the chances of us murdering each other."

"I see!" Celes starts. "It's a classic prisoner's dilemma." Hifumi asks what she means, and she proceeds to explain the concept of the theory. "Monokuma has planted that seed of doubt in all of us that makes us hesitant to lower our guard out of fear of betrayal. I fear that if we don't calm down, we may very well end up self-destructing... and someone will die…" She says, appearing crestfallen.

"Then why don't we all talk this out?" Mukuro says, twirling her hair. "It would probably help to tell everyone what was on your video… it might help to lift some of the tension."

"I agree." I say, sighing. "If all of your videos were as brutal as mine, I think talking about it would probably be the best course of action." I turn to Sayaka, who's looking just as spooked as last time. "Hey Sayaka, what was on your video?" She stays silent just like last time.

"W-well?" Toko spits. "Just tell us what was on your damn video already!"

I reach out to her, but she smacks my hand away. "Don't touch me!" She then bolts out the door.

"Wait, Sayaka!" I yell. Just as I'm about to take off after her, it occurs to me that maybe… she needs to be alone right now. Would that keep her from using me as an instrument for murder? I… don't know.

"Shouldn't someone go after her?" Hina asks with a concerned expression. "I'm really worried."

"Honestly... I don't really care what happens to her, p-personally." Toko says.

Mukuro scowls at her. "That's because you're totally heartless!"

After a few beats of silence, I speak up. "…I think she should be alone right now." This garners surprised looks from everyone in the room... Byakuya especially.

"But dude, don't you have a massive hard-on for her?" Leon asks, scratching his head. "I woulda thought you'd have jumped on the chance to comfort her..."

I send a glare his way. "I don't have a "hard-on" for her, we're just friends!" Though that may be sort of a lie, the way he said it just made it seem gross.

He rolls his eyes. "Oh, right. Friendzoned. Gotcha." I fight the urge to smack my forehead. "Well if you're such good friends, why don't ya go help her?"

I glance off to the side. "Sometimes… people just need to be alone. I don't think I'd be of much help to her right now, in all honesty."

I pause for a second before facing everyone. "Besides, I think it would be best for us to clear the animosity with the majority first. Letting all of this tension brew is a recipe for disaster!"

"…He's right." Kyoko says, a little reluctant. "If we leave things as they are, there's no way we'll come out unscathed."

"Very well." Byakuya says, agreeing. "I think it would be best that we go around the room and say what we saw. Anyone who refuses will immediately become a person of interest." He glances at me. "You should start… it was your idea."

"Right." I sigh. "…It was my family. In the beginning, they were sitting there happily, but then…" I take a deep breath. "The house was in ruins. I was told I would find out what happened to them after graduation."

As we take turns going around the room, it turns out that families were the subject of most of the videos, including Mukuro's... though I feel like she was probably lying.

When it gets to be Mondo's turn, he looks ready to punch a wall. "It was my gang… they were all hootin' and hollerin' one moment, and the next… they were all down on the ground." He yells. "There's no fuckin' way they all got beat so easily…! No fucking way in hell…"

Next, Hifumi pipes up. "I-it was my collection. It was shining and glorious, but then suddenly my room was gutted! Oh, I don't even want to think of it anymore…! What happened to my babies!?" He goes into a fit of hysterics, and everyone pointedly ignores him.

Finally, all eyes fall to Celes, who's the only one who hasn't shared yet. It's very subtle, but she appears to be the tiniest bit uncomfortable. "Must I…?"

"Uh, yeah!" Mukuro yells. "We all spilled our guts, so you should spill yours."

"I don't recall agreeing to such a thing… but very well." She takes a deep breath. "It was my life savings. One million dollars. There one moment, but then… it was gone." She bites her nail. "It was all in a top of the line safe though! How did that little _bitch_ of a mastermind work their way in there…!?"

Her mask slips for a moment before she goes back to that overly sweet façade. "Oh, pardon my French. Are we quite finished here? I have my own things I'd like to attend to." Not even waiting for a response, she strides out of the room.

Mondo snorts. "She's pleasant."

Taka chimes in. "I have to disagree Mondo! I feel like she was rather unpleasant just now actually!"

"Brows, are you being serious right now?" Mukuro asks in disbelief.

"Very! It was extremely rude to leave in such a manner after speaking so crudely!"

Oh Taka… you poor social invalid.

"Okay, no, that's not gonna fly Brows." She grabs his collar and starts to drag him off. "You and I are going to have a lesson in sarcasm, okay? Okay." She pushes the door open with her foot and exits with a confused Taka.

I shake my head. At least the tension has almost completely dissolved… talking it out really did help a lot.

I crack my neck. "Whelp, that was irritating. I can't believe he wants us to kill each other over videos he made for us… I mean, come on! They're probably fake!"

"Right?" Hina says. "We've only been gone for a few days, there's no way they got to all of our families!"

While everyone starts chattering about the videos, I have a thought that they may not be entirely fake… But I can't tell them that. Then things would be just as bad as before! I slip out of the room unnoticed.

As I walk down the hall, I see someone who I hadn't expected to see: Sayaka. I call out to her. "Hey Sayaka! Are you alright?" She turns my way and offers me a sad smile.

"Not really, Makoto… that video was so scary. I just sorta freaked out on you, didn't I? I'm so sorry!" She says, hugging me. My face feels hot. "You… you'll be there for me right? I don't think I can make it through this without you…"

I peel her away and smile at her. "Of course! We're friends after all, I'll stick by you… you're free to come by my room any time if you want to talk about it."

She looks up at me with teary eyes. "R-really? Thank you so much Makoto! You're such a good friend…"

"Of course!" I say, grinning, "I'll do anything for my friends."

She smiles and thanks me one last time before running off. _"I think giving her space this time really did help!"_ Who knew that would be a solution? I sigh and stretch, feeling tired all of a sudden.

With nothing else to do I make my way back to my room for a nap. I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

* * *

For the second time today, I'm startled awake by a loud noise. I look around in a daze before realizing that someone is buzzing the doorbell. I yawn and walk over to the door, opening it and peeking out. The sight of a very impatient Byakuya greets me.

"You certainly took your time." He says, opening the door and walking in. "I must have been pressing the buzzer for a good five minutes!"

Still not fully awake, I close the door and look at him. "Mmmph... Byakuya, what time is it…?" I yawn again and sit down on the bed.

"It's eleven-thirty." He says simply, pulling out a book from his pocket. Sitting down, he cracks it open and starts reading, ignoring the stupefied look on my face.

"What are you doing in here...?" I ask, stunned. He rolls his eyes and looks up from his book.

"I had told you earlier that I needed to talk to you, but you never showed up." He says glaring. "Though I was pleasantly surprised you hadn't followed that Sayaka girl, I still had something I needed to speak with you about."

"My bad about forgetting to talk to you, I sorta ended up falling asleep…" I say, sheepish. "What is it that you needed to?"

"What I'm doing right now." He says, raising an eyebrow. I must look as confused as I feel, because he continues. "I'm staying in here tonight."

"…Why?" I ask, still tired.

"Regardless of what happened earlier, I don't want to risk you foolishly answering to her whims. I'm staying in here as an insurance policy so that you don't." Saying this, he returns to his book.

I'm… way too tired to deal with this. "Whatever…" I say, irritated. I crawl back under the covers and turn to go to sleep again, doing my best to ignore his presence. It comes to me faster than I would have expected.

* * *

I wake up again around two in the morning, and see that Byakuya is sound asleep at the foot of the bed. I stretch, and not two seconds later the buzzer to my room sounds again. I trot over to quickly answer it, so it doesn't wake up Byakuya. I see Sayaka standing there with a soft smile on her face, both hands behind her back.

"Sayaka!" I say, surprised. "What's wrong? It's really late." I step out of the door frame and look at her, concerned.

"Well…" she says, fidgeting. "I-I was having a really hard time sleeping. Do you think you could come back to my room with me for a little bit?"

…Something isn't right. Sayaka looks just as she always does, but this atmosphere around her... is tense.

"U-uhm... what for, Sayaka? See, cause... Byakuya and I were having a little… sleep over… and it doesn't seem right for me to just leave him in here." As I say this, her expression goes from a smile to blank in an instant.

"…Just come with me. Now."

My heart leaps into my throat. "...I told you, I can't."

Not saying anything more, Sayaka removes both hands from behind her back... revealing a kitchen knife.

"S-Sayaka!? What are you doing-?" Her answer is a wide-arc slash downward, slicing a neat line down my left arm. The pain is immediate, and my lone thought is to get away from the door.

I can't be cornered right now.

I can't let her in there to where Byakuya is.

I dodge another slash from her, launching past her towards the main dorm area.

I grip my arm with the undamaged one in an attempt to stifle the blood flow. "Sayaka… why? Why are you doing this!?"

Her face remains completely blank as she answers me. "I… need to get out, Makoto. My bandmates… they need me. They can't do shit without me…! I won't allow my career to be destroyed!" She takes a step closer to me. "You said you'd do anything for your friends Makoto… so please, won't you just die for me?"

"And how do you plan on getting away with it?" I say, spitting. I'm starting to feel light headed, whether it's from the situation or the blood dripping from my arm I'm not sure.

"You see… it's very easy." She says, plastering on a smile. "You came to me in the middle of the night and attacked me with a kitchen knife… and I had no other choice but to defend myself." She frowns. "But during the struggle, you fall over and impale yourself on your own weapon! How sad! Your death will be ruled an accident, and no one will ever know…" She smiles again, this time a manic looking one.

Seeing a dangerous look in her eye, I turn to run, but I stumble and slam into someone's door. She walks over slowly, still smiling. "Now Makoto… you can't fall over onto a knife if you're on the ground! You should know better, silly boy!"

Seriously in pain, I force myself up, bracing myself on the wall. I slide slowly backwards, but I know at this point that she has the upper hand. She's probably going to kill me.

" _Sorry Byakuya… I should have listened to you. It looks like it'll be up to you to save everyone."_ I think, ruefully. I suddenly run out of wall and I'm on the ground again, and I scoot backwards until I'm just out of the hallway in front of the stairs. I'm too tired to move anymore, so I stop… knowing it's the end.

Sayaka skips forward to me, manic look still on her face. She grabs the knife in both hands and raises it high above her head, ready to deliver the final blow, but she's suddenly tackled to the ground.

Who…?

I will myself to stand and see that Kyoko is currently wrestling with Sayaka on the ground for control of the knife. "Kyoko! Get away from her, she'll kill you!"

"Let go of me, you bitch...!" The singer squeals, trying to rip the knife from her gloved hand.

They struggle in a dead heat for what feels like ages; I want to get up, to _stop_ them, but when I try... I end up stumbling. I'm too dizzy right now. Just when it seems that Kyoko has finally gotten the upper hand, Sayaka slips her hand free…

...and stabs Kyoko in her stomach.

She lets out a strangled groan, and Sayaka throws her off her, standing up and backing away several feet. Kyoko rolls over on her back, with the blade sticking straight up in the air. I'm by her side in seconds.

"Kyoko! What- Why did you do that! You should have gotten away from her when I told you to! Why didn't you!?" I say, tears welling up in my eyes.

"I'm… sorry, Makoto." She says, weakly. "Something just came over me… I couldn't sit idly by and let her kill you." Her eyes widen a fraction, and she sits there quietly for a moment before she smiles. "I think I know why I did, though… you are my best friend, after all."

I look at her stunned for a moment. There's no way…! "You-" She cuts me off.

"Remember?" She smiles weakly. "I do… now." She bites her lip and stifles a groan of pain. "It's unfortunate that I'm only able to remember in my final moments, though… it looks like you probably knew all along… thank you for saving Mondo, by the way." She gives me a regretful smile. "I honestly have no clue why- gh. Why I didn't say… anything…" She starts to drift off into unconsciousness, and I quickly shake her awake.

Tears are freely falling down my face now. "No! These aren't your final moments Kyoko! I won't let you die!"

"But you will, Makoto." I turn to look at Sayaka. She doesn't appear to feel any remorse, blank look firmly in place. "Because you're the one who killed her." I look at her, shocked.

She starts twirling a strand of her hair. "I just witnessed a murder! Of course you'll deny it, but who's everyone going to believe? A nobody like yourself, or... a pop star like me?"

"You won't get away with it!" I yell, still crying. "If she dies, I'll be sure that you'll pay for what you've done!"

She puts her hand to her mouth, feigning surprise. "And how will you ever manage that Makoto…? No one will believe I was the one to kill her, I don't have a scratch on me! I'll say I came out for a drink of water and witnessed a brutal fight… Kyoko fought so hard to protect herself!" She starts to fake cry. "I wanted to help so badly, but there was no way I could have taken the knife from him!" She looks up and the blank look is back. "They'll all eat that up… no one will doubt me."

"Except maybe the person who just heard you say all of that."

She whips her hear around to look at Byakuya, who's standing there with a triumphant smirk on his face. "What-!?"

"Next time you're going to commit murder, try to make sure someone's door is shut properly." He says, crossing his arms.

"You… there weren't any other doors open!" She says, furious.

He pushes his glasses up. "Except for Makoto's. He told you I was in there right?" He sighs, walking around her. He moves around to Kyoko's other side and then does something unexpected.

"Monokuma!" He yells, voice filled with the demanding only he could muster.

"You rang?" Monokuma says, popping next to him. "Oh dear, you all have discovered a body! What a shame!" He says, giggling.

"You know very well she isn't dead." He says, leveling a glare at the bear. "You watched the whole thing, after all. Treat her."

"What what what!?" Monokuma yells. "Why the _hell_ would I do that!? This is the first action we've had in _days_! Look at the despair on Makoto's face! It's perfect!" He crosses his arms indignantly. "I have no reason to do anything like that!

"And if she dies, what happens then?" Byakuya says, condescending.

"We hold a class trial, and the blackened will either escape or be executed!" He chirps.

Sayaka's eyes widen. "…E-execution!?"

Byakuya shakes his head. "Except there won't be a trial, not much of one at least. It'll be boring."

This gets Monokuma's attention. "What do you mean, boring…?"

Ah... that's right.

Junko hates boring things...

"The case will be over within five minutes." Byakuya says, crossing his arms. "No debates, no arguments, nothing. I heard Sayaka's confession, and I'll leave no room for argument once the trial starts. Everyone will deem her to be guilty without a fight."

Monokuma seems to consider this for a moment. "That… _would_ be boring. No one would fight it? At all?" He says, depressed. "The whole point of a trial would be to argue! I want to see people yelling, screaming, kicking! None of that idle acceptance shit!"

He turns away from us for a moment. "How about this?" He says, turning back. "I'll do my best to treat the girl, but if she dies you'll keep quiet for a bit and try to let the blackened try to convince everyone otherwise. Five minutes is all I want from ya, sound reasonable? Then you can nail her to the stake for burning."

Byakuya nods. "I accept." Monokuma laughs his trademark laugh and claps his paws together. The tile beneath Kyoko opens up beneath her and she slides neatly onto the gurney hidden underneath.

"Let's get this girl to the OR, stat!" He yells, pushing the bed along. As he exits the area, Monokuma obnoxiously yells "wee-woo" over and over again to simulate an ambulance.

When the screaming fades off into the distance... I'm left there, stupefied. Why… why did it have to be her!? She's… probably going to die. She's going to die… because she protected me. My tears come back in full force and I sob quietly for a few minutes before Byakuya stands and offers me a hand.

"Come on." His voice comes out so gently, so small... I can hardly believe he's the one talking. "We need to fix up your arm. We don't want Kyoko's sacrifice to be in vain, right?' I mutely nod and take his hand, still crying. He helps me to my feet and slings my good arm across his shoulder for support. Just when we were about to leave the area, Sayaka steps in front of us.

"No!" She shouts, seething. "You ruined my chance to escape! My career, my life… it's _over_ now! Why couldn't you just sit by and let him take the blame!?" Sayaka furiously shakes her head, pointing at him. "You know what it's like, more than anyone else here, that sometimes people need to be thrown under the bus to get what you want! Why would you do this...!?"

He looks at her for a second before he looks down at me. I think I see the smallest of smiles on his face, but it may just be my imagination. He glances back to her. "I do… and that's why I did. Consider the bus en route." With that he starts to carry me off, not sparing her a glance as she screams with indignation.

We enter my room, and he shuts and locks the door behind us. Byakuya leads me to the bed and sits down before going off into the bathroom. He brings back a few supplies and helps me to take off my jacket and shirt so he can work on the cut. I glance down and wince. It looks like a mess, and it's still gushing blood. As he cleans up the excess blood, I can see at the very least that the cut was long, but not deep. He tears a section of my sheets from the bed and uses it to wrap my arm, much to my dismay.

"...There wasn't a first-aid kit in the bathroom. I'll get something better for you later, but it should work to stop the bleeding for now." He says quietly in response to my questioning look. He grabs a new shirt from my drawers and helps me put it on before sitting down beside me.

We're quiet for what seems like a long while before I speak up. "I'm… so sorry. I should have listened to your warning, Byakuya… that she was a bad person. I just wanted to believe so badly that she was who she appeared to be that- that I completely ignored what you told me… and Kyoko paid the price." I feel the tears spring back up, and I try and fail to hold them back.

He shakes his head. "I... _suppose_... It's not a bad thing to try and find goodness in people…" He then puts his hand over the one I have resting on the bed and gives it a light squeeze. "I shouldn't have fallen asleep… I could have protected you from her if I was awake." He says, glaring at the floor.

I weave my fingers in with his, surprising both of us. Even though it's Byakuya... its comforting, in a way. "No, it wasn't your job to protect me. I know you're going to beat yourself up over it no matter what, but… I'm the one who opened the door for her, because I trusted her." I then turn to him smiling sadly. "You _did_ protect me from her in the end, and you gave Kyoko a chance to survive that she wouldn't have before. So… thanks. For everything." I say, tears still streaming down my cheeks.

He doesn't say anything in response, but we stay there in silence for what seems like hours before Monokuma appears before us. Our hands immediately fly apart.

He didn't seem to notice. "Upupupupu… Kyoko is alive for now, but it's suuuuper unlikely that she's going to survive the day!" He says, voice full of glee. "So, I'm going to move ahead with the trial! Remember what you promised me!" He then leaves the room, still giggling.

Not a minute later, there's an announcement over the speakers. "Attention all students, please report to the gym! I have exciting news for you all!"

Byakuya stands and sighs. "Let's go get this over with."

* * *

As we walk to the gym, I see Mukuro walking just ahead of us. Without a word to Byakuya, I walk up soundlessly to where I'm walking side by side with her and speak so that only she can hear. "If you want to live _Mukuro_ , don't get close to Monokuma. Your sister will kill you." Her eyes widen in shock at my sentence.

"You… what-" She starts, but I shake my head.

"Ask me how I know later, but for now I don't want any more death. You may be a double agent, but you're still our friend." As I say this, I fall back a little so that I'm back in step with Byakuya, and Mukuro continues soundlessly forward. At least she understands that we can't speak about it out loud.

Byakuya looks at me, eyebrow raised. I give him a tired smile. "I figured being blunt with her would be the best way for her not to be killed." I whisper. He simply nods, and we're silent the rest of the way to the gym. Once we arrive, Monokuma yells at us.

"Jeez, you three are slow! I've been waiting forever!" He claps his paws together. "Now, for the news, someone has finally been murdered!" He cheers. The looks of shock are evident on everyone's faces.

"W-what?" Chihiro sputters. He takes a quick look around the room and immediately comes to a conclusion. "Kyoko-? She's dead!?"

Monokuma nods, excited. "That's right kiddo! Dead as the day is long! Now, ordinarily I would have you all conduct an investigation, but alas!" He strikes a dramatic pose. "There isn't really any evidence to collect! The crime was very straightforward, as you'll all read in my report!" He tosses the Monokuma file at us, and Taka deftly catches it. The file is passed around the room until everyone's seen it.

"This case is going to be very special, because… we have eye witnesses!" He giggles, excited at the shocked expressions. "That's right! Makoto Naegi, Byakuya Togami, and Sayaka Maizono were all present at the crime scene! One is the murderer, one is the intended victim, and the other one saw the _whole thing_!"

He hops off of the stage. "I wanted to take you to the very special court room, but…" He trails off. "It doesn't seem right since this case is gonna be decided in a flash! So please, everyone get in a circle!"

Stupefied, everyone does as their told. Monokuma sits with his legs crossed in the center. "Now, I'll go around the room and ask for each of the eye witnesses' testimonies. It's up to you all to decide who's guilty! I don't really think you'll have a hard time this go around, but if you finger the right person, they'll be punished for disturbing your communal lives here, and be executed publicly!"

"What the fuck!?" Mondo shouts. "You mean you're gonna kill off whoever we finger?"

"Upupupupu… Not exactly!" Monokuma chuckles. "If you get it wrong… the person you choose will still die, but so will the rest of you! Only the person who graduates will survive!" He pats his belly. "No pressure or anything!"

As he says this, nervous looks are leveled on all of us. I can only pray that they make the right decision. Monokuma clears his throat.

"Now, Miss Maizono, if you would be so kind, please deliver your side of the story!"

She scans the crowd, lip trembling ever so slightly, before she bursts into a fit of tears. "O-oh, it was so awful! I had gone to get a drink of water when I saw Makoto and Kyoko fighting in the hall! He had come at her with a knife! She fought back so hard, but he overpowered her… He stabbed her right in the side, grinning the entire time as she bled out on the floor… I wanted to help her out, but… there was no way I could have possibly stopped him!"

Suddenly several sets of glares are thrown my way. I frantically shake my head. "No no, that's not how it happened at all! Sayaka knocked on my door around two, saying she wanted to talk. I told her no, cause Byakuya was in the room with me, and she pulled a knife from behind her back and slashed me on the arm!" I say, pointing to my arm. "I tried to get away, but I was bleeding a lot and I tripped… and I hit Kyoko's door. She must have heard it, cause just when Sayaka was about to stab me, Kyoko tackled her from behind! They started fighting on the floor, but...!" I point over to her; Kyoko's killer. "Sayaka managed to get the knife out of Kyoko's hand and stabbed her in her stomach!"

"Lies!" Toko shouts. "You probably got that gash fighting with Kyoko! She was tough, she could have done it!"

"Indeed! There was no way Miss Maizono could have possibly attacked you… Look at her!" Hifumi jeers, crossing his arms. "She's beside herself with grief!"

"B-but guys," Chihiro stutters. "We haven't even heard-" He's cut off by Taka.

"Nonsense Chihiro! Do you even see the major differences between their stories? It's obvious that Makoto is much more capable of such a heinous act!"

"Like hell!" Mondo shouts. "Makoto is one of the nicest motherfuckers I've ever met! There's no way he could ever off someone!"

"Oh please!" Toko retorts. "J-just keep your mouth shut, you meat head! It's obvious that he's the one who did her in!"

"Yeah, foreal!" Hiro says, freaking out. "I mean really, a hot babe or a dumpy looking dude, who's more likely to off someone?!"

" _Oh god, this really isn't going well! They're going to make up their minds before Byakuya even gets to say anything!"_

Just as I think I'm about to be crucified, I get some help way out of left field… from Mukuro.

"… I believe him." She says firmly, stopping all chatter.

"W-what?" Taka asks, surprised. "Junko, what do you mean!? What makes you think that Makoto's story is true?"

She stays silent a few moments before she speaks. "Well… it's just a couple of things that were different between their stories. Sayaka never even mentioned Byakuya, who Monokuma said was at the scene… and Makoto was a lot more specific with his side." She crosses her arms, glaring at everyone. "More than all of that though, I just believe him!"

The debate was getting ready to heat up again, but Monokuma cuts in before anything can be said. "Upupupupu! Now now kiddies, I think that's enough fun for me!" He giggles, earning confused looks from almost everyone. "Byakuya, you're free to speak now!"

Byakuya, who's been standing off to the side with his arms crossed, steps forward. "I was asleep in Makoto's room when I was awoken by shouts emanating from the hallway. I look through the open door and see Sayaka and Kyoko fighting over a knife... but it was ultimately Sayaka who won. She stabbed Kyoko and threw her off her. As she was bleeding out on the floor, and Makoto was attempting to save her, Sayaka launches into a triad about how she's going to pin the murder on him. She said that there was no way, and I quote, that anyone would believe a nobody like him over a star like her." He takes a moment to push up his glasses. "Any questions?"

Everyone looks at him in shock, except Sayaka, who's positively livid. "You… what the hell are you talking about!? It's obvious that Makoto is the one who did it! I'm the eyewitness, he's the murderer, and you're-"

"The intended victim?" He asks, eyebrow raised. Sayaka looks at him shocked.

"Wow girlie, you sorta fucked up." Leon says, eyes wide. "You weren't listening earlier when Monokuma was talking?"

Hina tilts her head to the side. "Yeah… he said that one of you was the murderer, one of you was the eye-witness, and one of you was the one the murderer wanted to die… but you only talked about you and Makoto in your story."

Sakura takes the reins from here. "And Byakuya himself never mentioned anything about being attacked previously." She says, eyes wide. "So there is only one possible set up from your accounts…"

Celes giggles, lifting her hand to her mouth. "Little Makoto was the intended victim…"

"…Byakuya was t-the witness…" Chihiro murmurs.

Mukuro points a finger at Sayaka. "And you're the culprit!"

I look at everyone relieved. _"They figured it out!"_ I let out a tense sigh.

Sayaka has a blank look on her face. "No."

I blink. "No…?"

"No. No. No. No!" She says, each time increasing in volume. "Are you all stupid!? What the hell are you doing believing a nobody and a _snob_ over me!? I'm the star, why the hell would I ever lie about anything? I don't have a reason! He's the one who killed her!"

"No I'm not!" I retort, seething. "It's obvious it's you!"

"Where's your proof!? You don't have any! This whole thing has been word of mouth from only three people!" Sayaka yells, and continues to yell when I glance around the room.

Hina raises her hand, a little shaky. "What's wrong, Hina?" I ask, concerned.

"W-well… I might have the proof you need." She says, looking down. "I was having a cup of tea in the dining hall last night. Sayaka came in and went into the kitchen, coming out a few minutes later. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when I went back into the kitchen... one of the knives was missing. It was definitely there when I was making my tea!"

This shuts Sayaka up. She looks at Hina, stunned. "You… were in there? Where?! I didn't even see you-" Her hand flies to her mouth, but it's too late.

"You, my dear…" Byakuya says, smirking. "Have just dug your own grave."

"Okay! Trial's over!" Monokuma cheers.

"What!?" Sayaka says, panicking. "I wasn't finished yet!"

Monokuma ignores her. "Ordinarily I'd have you cast your votes on this cool slot machine, but I'm pretty sure everyone here agrees it was the Super High School Level Idol who was guilty, right?" He doesn't wait for any answers. "Right! So, I wasn't actually completely honest with you guys. I was originally planning to have the trial in the court room, buuuuut…." He says, pressing a button, cutting off the lights. "A punishment truly deserving of an Idol was already set up in here!"

Suddenly, a spotlight shows on him and a panel of two other Monokumas sitting off to the side, and another onto Sayaka. He has a gavel in his hand. "Let's give it everything we've got!" They chime in unison. "It'ssssssss… Punishment Time!" He smacks the gavel onto the red button on the table. Suddenly, a hook appears out of nowhere and pulls Sayaka into the darkness. The whirring of gears and air rushing around is the only indication that something in front of us is moving.

The gym suddenly becomes filled with light. The once generic stage looks like something straight out of a concert hall, complete with lights, pyrotechnics, and a large screen in back. The screen suddenly flickers to life, displaying one chilling sentence:

"Sayaka Maizono's Last Performance!"

Sayaka is thrown on stage, right in the middle of an over-sized bear trap. She frantically looks around, and sees the words "sing for your life" displayed on the screen. The words disappear, and suddenly one of her band's songs begins to play.

...She sings in perfect tune with the song, never missing a beat, she dances and moves along with the beat in a practiced way. Once it's over, the lights focus on the Monokuma panel of judges. They pretend to discuss for a moment before all producing large gavels and hitting the red buttons at the same time, causing three red x's to appear on the screen.

Something snaps, and the trap activates... effectively severing her head from her body.

The gym goes black, and Monokuma forces all of us out into the trophy room.

...

"Wowee, wasn't that one hell of an execution!? I'm still trembling in excitement! Ba-dum, Ba-dum!" He says panting.

"What the hell do you mean!?" I scream. "You just _cut her head off_!"

"Eh." He says, shrugging. "It had to happen somehow. She disrupted your life here." He crosses his arms, pouting. "What are you even mad about? She was trying to blame it all on you! I wouldn't feel sorry for her if I was in your shoes…"

I shake my head furiously. "That doesn't mean I wanted to see her get beheaded...! That's just sick!"

"Well, now you all know what happens if you don't graduate! Consider it a warning as to how serious I am." He says with a laugh. "Upupupu… whelp, I've got to clean up her corpse. We can't have it stinking up the gym, now can we? Toodles!" He then makes a hasty exit, locking the gym's door behind him.

"...I seriously want to throw up..." I manage after what seems like an eternity of silence. A quick glance around the room shows that many others share my sentiments.

"I-I can't believe that!" Taka shouts. "What the hell was that!? H-her head…"

Mukuro shakes her head. "That… was an execution. We'd all best tread lightly if we don't want to end up dead."

Looking at her, she seems… sincere. As if she were referring to herself as well.

Part of me hopes that she is.


	8. Where's the Tylenol?

Makoto's P.o.V:

As we make our way out of the trophy room on shaky legs, I notice that the gate blocking the second floor is now open, as expected. I can't honestly say I care though…

Leon seemingly does care, however. "Guys, check it out!" He points a finger toward the stairs. "They aren't blocked anymore!"

"He's right." Sakura affirms. "What's the meaning of this…?"

Just then Monokuma appears. "Oho, I forgot to tell you all about that! I've decided to broaden your horizons… by allowing you all to explore the school more! Think of it as a reward for letting me witness you in the deepest depths of despair!" He giggles. "Aren't I generous? Now don't bother me again, there's a big mess I've gotta clean up!"

As soon as he's gone, Taka speaks up. "We might as well explore it… there's no telling what we'll find up there."

But I really don't feel up to exploring. At all. I already know what's up there… and I honestly just want to sleep.

Chihiro takes a nervous glance at me before nodding to himself and speaking up. "I-I'm going to take Makoto back to his room." I turn to him, surprised. "He doesn't look well."

Mondo nods his affirmative. "Good thinking, girlie." He turns to me. "Ain't nothing wrong in grieving man. What just happened was pretty fucked up, no one here is gonna fault ya for taking a while to cool down." His voice is still as gruff as ever, but he's got a tone of understanding hidden in there as well.

I offer him a shaky nod after a couple of moments, and he turns back to Chihiro. "You stay with him a while. The rest of us got this exploring shit down, alright?"

"Right." Chihiro says, giving him a small smile. "I promise I'll take good care of him."

Mondo ruffles his hair and grins down at him before stalking up the stairs. Taka yells after him. "Wait a moment Mondo! It's not safe for you to be going off on your own, even if you are trying to impress Chihiro!"

This makes him stumble on the stairs, and he turns toward Taka, cheeks blazing. "What the fuck, dude!? What the hell do you mean I'm trying to impress her!? I was just telling her to go take care of my bro is all!" I glance over at Chihiro and see that his cheeks are pink as well.

Taka points at him, yelling. "Regardless of whether or not you realize what you were doing, it's still not okay to go off on your own!" He crosses his arms. "Please save your flirting for after our investigation!"

Mondo goes even redder than before, looking ready to beat Taka into the ground. "Shut the fuck up! I wasn't flirting with her goddammit!" He flips him the bird, and Taka's eyes go wide in shock.

Mukuro smacks her forehead before hitting Taka on the shoulder, effectively cutting off his reply. "Brows. Stop talking. You're just digging yourself into a deeper hole." She then grabs his wrist and starts to drag him upstairs. Suddenly she pauses and turns back to me.

"Go get some rest Makoto. We'll talk about everything later, alright?" Before I can reply, she pushes past Mondo and walks up the stairs.

Looking indignant, Mondo stalks up the stairs after them. "Don't you think for a second that this is fucking over!" Hina shakes her head with a laugh and proceeds to drag Leon and Sakura up the steps, with everyone else following close behind.

Byakuya lingers for a moment before he nods at Chihiro. "Make sure to cheer him up, alright?" He hesitantly nods back to Byakuya in response, and proceeds down the hall with me in tow.

* * *

Once we reach my room, Chihiro speaks up. "You know Makoto… I think Monokuma is occupied with cleaning the gym… I-If you want to talk, we can." He says, gripping his skirt and giving me a sheepish look.

I almost turn him down but… I honestly think that talking would help at this point. I give him a small nod and walk over to the bed. He walks over and sits next to me, looking up at me with a small smile on his lips. I stay quiet for a while before I speak up.

"Last time… Kyoko was my best friend." I start quietly. "Without her help, there was no way we would have survived most of the class trials. She's the reason we found out the truth… and now Monokuma has her." I shift my gaze to the floor. "I wonder what he'll do with her…?"

Chihiro tilts his head with a frown. "I would think that he would store her body somewhere."

I show Chihiro a sad smile. "No. She's still alive." His eyes go wide in shock.

"What…!? Kyoko is alive? But how?"

I twiddle my thumbs for a minute before taking a deep breath. "Byakuya bargained with Monokuma. She was bleeding out on the floor when he told Monokuma that the trial would be a really boring one, because he had seen the whole thing happen. That's why he stayed quiet for most of it... it was part of the deal he made so that Monokuma would treat her."

"W-wait…" Chihiro stutters, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. "Does that mean… Sayaka died for nothing..?"

I shake my head. "Monokuma said that it was unlikely that Kyoko would survive the day, so he decided to go on with the trial. I didn't want Sayaka to die of course, but the second part of the agreement was that if Kyoko was likely to die, he could still have a class trial." I trail off to wipe tears from my eyes. "Her execution… was just so brutal. At least she didn't suffer for long..."

Chihiro looks to the ground. "It's amazing that even after she tried to pin the murder on you that-" He sniffles. "That… you still didn't want her to die. You really are a kind person."

Once again, I shake my head. "No… I'm a very stupid person. The very same thing happened last time, except her plan backfired and she ended up being murdered by Leon. She was planning on killing him in my room and then pinning it on me." I rake my hand through my hair. "Byakuya had warned me not to get close to her again… but I thought that if I could just do things a little differently, that she could have survived with the rest of us. Look how that turned out…"

"B-but Makoto!" Chihiro squeaks. "You had the best of intentions when you decided to do what you did! Some people just… don't change. They'll keep on making the same mistake over and over no matter how many chances you give them. Sayaka must have been one of those people, even if she didn't know it.. You're not stupid at all!"

I open my mouth to speak, but Chihiro quickly puts his hands over my mouth. "I don't want to hear it, Makoto!" He says, puffing out his cheeks. "You aren't to blame for what happened! I'm not gonna let you keep on putting yourself down… You don't deserve it!" He squeezes his eyes shut to keep from crying. "You've got to be one of the best people I've ever met, and you aren't stupid!"

In spite of myself, I end up cracking a smile. I gently peel his hands off of my face and give him a hug. "…Thanks Chihiro. You're a great friend." I say after a moment, patting him on the back. He returns my hug before letting go, a small smile on his face.

"No more self-bashing?" He asks with narrowed eyes. I nod, and he smiles. "You should probably take a nap Makoto." He says, standing. "I'm going to go tell Mondo and Byakuya that you're alright, and then I'll be back, okay?"

I smile at him. "Alright, if you want to." He turns and waves before leaving, closing the door firmly shut behind him.

I sigh and stretch, crawling under the covers. It doesn't take long for sleep to come.

* * *

Mukuro's P.o.V:

As I drag Taka down the hall, I end up getting lost in thought.

" _That Makoto… how did he know my name? His memory should have been wiped along with the rest when we took over the school…"_ I internally sigh. _"Not to mention that he told me not to get near Monokuma. Junko had told me to yell at him and get in his face to avoid suspicion, but… had she really meant to kill me?"_

The whole reason I had agreed to do this with her is so that she'd forgive me for running off and joining Fenrir… and she said she would if I had helped her with her plot. That's all I ever wanted from her; forgiveness and love. But if what Makoto said has any truth to it…

I shake those thoughts off. " _There's no way she'd lie to me like that… right_?"

Right?

...

...Suddenly I'm unsure of what's actually going on.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Mondo runs up and stands in front of me, clearly pissed.

"Sorry blondie, but I've got a bone to pick with your boy-toy over there." He says, crossing his arms.

Not wanting to get involved in something that's clearly going to happen whether or not I'd like it to, I let go of Taka's wrist and step off to the side. "Not my boy-toy, but have at him."

Taka walks up and crosses his own arms, glaring at Mondo in challenge. "What is the meaning of this, Mondo? We need to be exploring the second floor!"

Mondo's own glare intensifies. "Where the hell do you get off acting like that? You're fucking stupid if you thought I would just let that shit go."

"I was only stating things as they appear to me!" He says, tilting his head to the side. "Do you yourself not realize that you were attempting to impress the girl?"

Mondo only growls in response. "How many times do I have to tell you, _fuckface_ , that it wasn't like that!"

"Watch your language, Mondo!" Taka is outright scowling at this point. Ever the one to take the moral highground. "Even though we're trapped here, this is still a school, and you're still in the presence of a lady! Show some respect!"

Mondo cracks his knuckles. "Oh, I'll show some fucking respect alright! I'll respect my god damn fist once it knocks your ass out cold!"

Taka just scoffs, only adding fuel to the fire. "You delinquents are all the same! No other way to solve problems other than with your fists!"

With Mondo seriously close to a boiling point, I decide to intervene before things get worse than necessary. "Alright, that's enough!" I say, glaring at the two of them. "If either of you idiots hadn't realized, you're fighting over pointless shit!" Taka gives me a scandalized look over my language, causing me to roll my eyes.

Seeing that I've got their attention, I continue. "Look, I don't care what you guys do later, but for now we need to look around for something useful! The last thing we need right now is you two fighting like two pre-teen girls over a rumor!"

Taka deflates somewhat. "...Very well." He says, looking to the ground. "I hadn't meant to cause such a problem for you Junko. I apologize." I nod at him. Mondo simply scoffs and walks off.

I turn to Taka fully and cross my arms at him. "Seriously though Brows, what the hell were you thinking calling him out like that? It's alright to have your opinions about things, but there wasn't any reason for you to embarrass them."

He huffs. "I didn't want Mondo running off on his own when we didn't know what was up here! He could have been hurt!"

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Not _that_ part! I meant when you said that Mondo was trying to flirt with Chihiro!"

He tilts his head. "Wasn't it obvious though?"

"No!" I yell, exasperated. "That was _your_ opinion of what he was doing! I just thought he was being a good friend!"

He suddenly looks like a kicked puppy. "R-really…?"

"Yes, really! Jeez, were you always such a social invalid!?" I smack my palm to my forehead. "What you did was seriously not cool! Even if he did have a thing for Chihiro, it wouldn't be our place to say anything!"

He looks at me confused. "What do you mean "were you always?" Isn't that something people say when they'd met someone previously?"

My heart skips a tiny beat, but I quickly wave him off. "Don't be such a grammar nazi! You get what I meant!" I glare at him, and he withers. "The point is that you can't just go around saying people are flirting with each other! You can seriously hurt someone like that, ya know?"

He pouts a little. "I don't really see how!"

"Okay, let me explain it to you in a way you might understand." I say, patting him on the shoulder. "Let's say that you're helping me out with something, being real nice and such. Then someone comes up and yells out that you're flirting with me. Wouldn't you feel the least bit bad if you weren't actually flirting with me, and that maybe that person got my hopes up for nothing?"

He crosses his arms. "Impossible!" He says suddenly, startling me.

"How is that impossible?" I say, exasperated.

"Because!" He yells. "There's no way you could possibly have any sort of romantic feeling towards me! I'd have nothing to worry about!" He finishes with a laugh.

"Really? No way at all?" I say with an eyebrow raised. "Why's that?"

He goes quiet for a moment. "W-well, I... I don't really think you would go for someone such as myself!"

"So you're saying that you aren't my type?" I say, slightly amused. He nods. "What makes ya so sure, Brows?"

He looks to be a little flustered. "I mean… you're a model! Models date other models, correct?"

Looking at him, I can't help but feel a little conflicted about how I should answer. Junko certainly wouldn't go for someone as… intense as him.

But personally… I think it's sort of cute how straightforward and oblivious he is. I don't much like admitting it, but he's the sort of disciplined guy I wouldn't mind being with.

" _Okay woah, that train of thought needs to stop right there!"_ I internally scold myself. _"As the Ultimate Soldier, I can't let your judgment be clouded by something as silly as feelings!"_ I then feel my cheeks heat up. _"N-not that there are any feelings to begin with! He's always been just some dorky guy, even before now!"_

"Uhm… Junko?" He says, waving his hand in front of my face. "Are you alright?"

I quickly shake my head, hoping my face isn't as red as it feels. "Just fine Brows!" I say, laughing. "But to answer your question, I date who I like." I wink at him, hoping to turn the tables a little. "You're still in the running for sure!" I grin at him like how I think Junko would.

His face turns as red as his eyes. "J-Junko! It's not polite to make fun of people like that!"

I give him a genuine smile when I see how he reacted. "Now who said I'm making fun of you?" I say, innocently. I don't give him a chance to reply, and dart off.

I hear him yelling after me. "W-wait, Junko! Don't run in the halls!"

* * *

Mondo P.o.V:

I stomp away from that eyebrowed idiot. Much as I hate to admit it, blondie had a point… I did tell my bro and ladybro that I'd get this exploring shit done after all.

I start walking normally again. Thinking about her, I really hope that idiot didn't make her feel too uncomfortable. She'd looked so flustered when he said that shit, I really hope she didn't get the wrong idea.

" _Was it really the wrong idea though…?"_

That stops me dead in my tracks. Where the hell did _that_ thought come from? I've only known the chick for a week! Not to mention that she's the exact opposite of what I usually go for…

Generally speaking, my type of chick is the kind that's busty, loud, and easy. No need for formalities, it's a quick "hey, wanna hit this" type deal.

...I may suck at talking to chicks I actually like, but I can be a smooth motherfucker when it comes to finding a friend with benefits. I always make it super clear that we have no connection other than that, and all of them seem to get that… at first, at least.

After a while it starts to get to their head, and they just think they're the hottest shit because they're "dating" a gang leader. Some of them would get into trouble with the cops, others would get in trouble with other gangs... all because they thought they could get away with it.

" _Of course what those morons didn't get is that just 'cause I'm a gang leader, doesn't mean I go and start shit for the hell of it. I'm not about to put my ass on the line just because you felt like you could do whatever and get away with it._ _I've never bailed out one of those broads once."_

I sigh and continue into a room. Looks like a library… I start to look around, but I end up getting caught up in my thoughts again.

" _Chihiro isn't like that at all. She's small and really quiet, and is the sort of person that's really easy to overlook. Not to mention that she's got a brain, and still somehow manages to be adorable without wearing makeup or any of those other fancy tricks…"_

I slam into a bookshelf. It almost topples over, but I manage to grab it just in time. _"I did not just think of my ladybro as cute. No way in hell…"_ My cheeks feel hot. _"Alright, so maybe I did. No problem. Anyone would think that she is."_

"U-uhm, Mondo? Are you okay?"

I whip around when I hear the familiar voice from behind me and see Chihiro standing there with a worried look on her face. Speak of the devil.

"Oh me? Completely! Totally fine, really!" I answer a little too loudly, waving her off. Hopefully she doesn't notice how red my face is. "Aren't ya supposed to be looking after Makoto?"

She smiles, doing funny things to my insides. "Makoto is sleeping right now actually. I managed to cheer him up quite a bit, and I thought I'd just come tell you and Byakuya the good news before heading back there."

I grin down at her. "Nice job girlie!" I tousle her hair, which is abnormally soft. I feel my face gearing up to turn red again, but just then something occurs to me. "Wait. Why would you tell that rich asshole how bro is doing?"

She tilts her head to the side. "Well… they're friends, I think. Just before he went upstairs, he told me to take good care of him. I ran into him in the hall before I came in here, and he seemed to be relieved… it was a little hard to tell though."

I grunt. "Bro knows how to pick 'em, I guess. Who would have thought the arrogant bastard would actually give a shit about him?" I crack my neck. "Well it's not really important. Thanks for the update though, I really appreciate it."

She smiles up at me. "No problem! I'm just gonna head back to his ro-" She suddenly cuts off mid-sentence.

I turn to look at her. "Wait, what's wrong?" I ask. She doesn't say anything and walks over to a desk in the corner. I walk over to where she's standing and see what she ended up getting distracted by: a computer.

"That's weird." I say. "What's a computer doing here? That bear managed to remove all of our phones and shit, why'd he leave this?"

She shakes her head. "I'm… not sure." She opens up the laptop and hits the power button. Nothing happens.

"Guess that's why. Stupid thing is broken." I say with an irritated sigh. "Damn shame too, there might have been something useful on there."

Chihiro puts her finger to her lips in thought. "Well… I might be able to fix it. I am a programmer, after all…"

I grin down at her, nearly having forgotten that she was a computer whiz. "Hell, it's worth a shot! If anyone can fix it, it's you!"

Her cheeks turn slightly pink. "J-just don't expect too much okay? It may just be completely shot." She then glances around me, and continues to speak in a whisper "We need to keep quiet about this though. Monokuma can't know about what I'm trying to do, otherwise we might get in trouble."

Understanding, I nod. "Gotcha. But that damn bear has cameras up everywhere, how are you gonna work on it?"

She shakes her head with a smile. "Actually... Makoto had discovered that there aren't any cameras in the bath house! We don't know why exactly, but it's probably the best place for me to work for now..."

I whistle. "Damn, really? Way to go bro! He's got some grade-A observation skills."

She has a strange look on her face for a minute before shifting to a smile. "Right?" She grabs the computer and its charger. "I'm going to go put this in there now."

I look at her confused. "How are you going to hide it though? Someone's gonna see you carrying it."

"Oh, uhm…" She only thinks about it for a moment before she turns away from me and walks behind the desk, facing the wall. I don't understand what she's doing, but then she suddenly lifts up the front of her skirt and I turn my head so fast I think I gave myself whiplash.

"Woah woah woah!" I blurt, surprised. "What the fuck are you doing?!" I didn't actually see anything, but it's the fact that yeah, she really did just lift up her skirt... that makes my face burn.

She turns back to me, clutching the laptop under her poofy skirt. "W-what?" She asks, frazzled. "I was just hiding the laptop…" She looks at my face for a few moments before her face turn pink. "O-Oh no! I'm so sorry Mondo, I wasn't thinking! You… didn't see anything, right?" She says, tears in the corner of her eyes.

I shake my head, hoping my face isn't as red as hers. "No… I only saw the skirt go up, I swear I didn't see anything!" She seems to accept this, but her face is still red.

"W-well." She stutters. "I'm just gonna go now… I'll see you later Mondo!" She then quickly runs out of the room, and I'm left staring in the direction she went.

" _I sorta wish I did peek, though…"_

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V:

Oh no. Oh no no no! I can't believe I slipped up like that! What _possessed_ me to just lift up my skirt with him in the room…!?

" _I want to crawl into a hole and die…"_ My cheeks are on fire. _"He didn't see anything sure, but it's the fact that he could have! He was so embarrassed too… augh, I can't believe I put him through that!"_

I quickly make my way through the school to the dorm area. I place the computer in one of the lockers in the bath house, before I speed down the hall to Makoto's room. I open the door to see him sitting on the edge of the bed, doodling on a notepad.

He looks up when I enter the room. "Oh, hey Chihiro!" He looks like he feels a lot better now. He gets a strange look on his face when he looks at me. "Why is your face so red?"

"O-oh, no reason!" I say, waving him off. "So uhm… how was your nap?"

"Just fine…" He says with a dubious expression on his face. "Seriously though, you look like a tomato. Tell me what's wrong."

With my topic change being shut down immediately, I sigh. "Well… I found a computer. Mondo and I, that is." I look off to the side. "I-it wouldn't turn on, so I told him I would work on it, but we had to keep it under wraps…"

"Oh right!" He says with a smile. "You actually ended up fixing it last time." He then tilts his head to the side. "But… what does any of that have to do with why you're blushing so hard?"

"About that…" I say, clutching my skirt. "Mondo had asked how I had planned on moving the laptop without being noticed, and I just sorta…" I trail off.

"You just sorta…?" Makoto asks, leaning forward.

"Imayhaveliftedmyskirtinfrontofhim." I say quickly, words running together slightly. It takes Makoto a second to process what I said.

"You… lifted your skirt in front of him…?" He asks, stupefied.

"I-It wasn't in front of him, per se… I did turn away from him after all!" I say, frantic. "B-but he still saw me lift it up right then and there, and he didn't see anything, but I still did it without even thinking about it! I just thought it would be a good way to move it without anyone knowing! Oh Makoto, he looked so embarrassed, I just couldn't stay in there any longer and I darted out of the room! I-"

"Okay, wait a minute!" Makoto says, cutting my rambling short. "So what you're telling me is that you lifted your skirt so that you could hide the laptop under it, and you did it with Mondo in the room...." He says, sighing. "But you had turned away from him so that he wouldn't see anything?"

"R-right." I say, with a nod.

He pats my shoulder with a small laugh. "It's not really a problem then right? He didn't see anything, so your secret is safe."

"W-well yeah… but that's not the problem I'm having!" I say, surprising myself. "I-I did something so embarrassing in front of him that I feel like I could die!"

Makoto raises an amused eyebrow at me. "So it's not the fact that he almost found out your secret that's bothering you the most, it's the fact that you did something like that in front of him?"

I give him a meek nod, and he smiles at me. "I'm really surprised. Last time you were guarding your secret with your life until Monokuma came up with the past motive…"

I look at him, confused. "Past motive…?"

He nods. "Yeah. Basically he's got dirt on all of us, and he gave us an option: Someone dies within the next twenty-four hours, or he reveals our secrets to everyone." He frowns suddenly. "You were going to tell everyone about it, but…" He trails off, but he doesn't need to say any more.

"I-I see…" I let out a shaky sigh. "So I'm going to have to tell everyone?" He nods. "W-when?"

"I'm not sure." He says, scratching the back of his head. "This first motive took a longer time to come than the last one, but what I do know is that it's going to be the next one given to us…"

I'm… not sure how I'm going to deal with this. No matter what, I'm going to have to tell everyone that I'm actually a boy. There's no way around it...

" _What's everyone going to think?"_ I wonder with a sigh. _"I know some of them won't care, and some will be shocked, but there are a few people who I just don't know how they'll react..."_ Just then, a troubling thought comes up, making me want to cry.

" _What's Mondo going to think…?"_


	9. What's Your Favorite Color?

Makoto's P.o.V:

Looking at Chihiro, he looks like he's about to burst into a fit of tears. "Woah, what's wrong?" I say, grabbing his shoulder and sitting him down next to me. "You didn't seem bothered when your secret was almost found out earlier!"

"I-I know what I said..." He says with a sniffle. "But it was only _almost_ … Knowing that I'm going to have to tell them about me… it's terrifying!" A few rogue tears streak down his cheeks. "I'm not certain that I'm strong enough to handle their reactions… his especially."

I shoot him a worried look. "His?"

He looks at me with watery eyes. "Mondo's! There's no telling how he'd take it… I just have this awful feeling that he'd hate me for it." He wipes at his eyes. "That's the absolute last thing that I want! He's such a great guy, and I really _really_ don't want to lose him…"

I give him a small smile. "I think you're underestimating him."

He sniffles, looking a little confused. "Underestimating him?"

I nod. "Yeah. Mondo may be really loud, but he's a good guy. I really don't think that he's going to hate you for this of all things. He'll still be your friend whether he thinks you're a boy or a girl."

He gets a strange look on his face. "Whether I'm a girl or a boy… he'd still like me…" He looks to the floor. "Would he treat me any differently though? I don't really want anything to change between us. I like where we are…"

My eyes widen at him. _"There's no way… right?"_ I wait a few moments before I decide to speak.

"Uhm Chihiro, if you don't mind me asking…" I trail off and scratch the back of my head. "You wouldn't happen to… like Mondo, would you?"

"Well of course I do!" He says, turning to me. "You two are my only friends… and I don't mean just causally, I mean actual friends!" He appears confused. "I thought you knew that…?"

I shake my head at him. "That's not what I meant." I clear my throat. "I meant… Ya know, in a romantic sense."

He stares at me for a few moments before my words finally register, and his face instantly reddens. "M-Ma-Makoto! Why would you even ask me that!? I like him just as much as I like you!"

"Well I know that!" I say with a sigh. "I just sorta got the impression that you may like him a little differently than you like me…"

He frantically shakes his head. "I can't like him! He's… he's a guy! A straight guy! And I'm… I don't even know what I am! I haven't even had a crush on anyone before!"

"What?" I say, shocked. "You've never had a crush on anyone before?"

He sighs. "No… ever since I started getting bullied, I've usually kept to myself. I've never gotten close enough to anyone to have developed feelings for them." He then looks up at me. "How do you tell?"

I bite by lip. "I don't really know how to explain it to you… Just try to think about him in relation to me. What's different? What's the same? I'm sure if you give it a little thought you'll know how you feel."

He goes silent for a while before he abruptly stands and heads for the door. "I… need to think. Can I get back to you about this later?" Without waiting for my reply, he sweeps out of my room.

I stare at the door, dumbstruck. _"How… does he not know if he likes someone? Shouldn't it be obvious?"_ As soon as I think this though, I remember what happened with Byakuya in the bath house. My face heats up.

" _Hello pot, meet kettle."_ I flop down on the bed and groan. " _I had completely forgotten about that with everything that's been going on!"_

Byakuya had said that I was attracted to him… and then he did _that_. My hand flies to my neck and my face burns even more than it originally did. _"He really did that… it was so… so bold! I didn't peg him as the forward type…"_

But thinking about it, it sort of makes sense. He's always been straightforward in everything else, so why would this be any different? It was still surprising though…

I roll over on my side. _"Of course it's surprising! Not too long ago he was treating me like the trash of the earth, and now he suddenly goes and does that? I didn't even think he was gay!"_

This stops me in my tracks. _Is_ he even gay?

…Did he only do that to make me feel bad?

I had honestly thought he changed, but what if he only did that to mess with me? I shake my head.

" _He's a different guy now, and given the situation…"_ I rub my hand over my face. _"Then again… he never actually said anything about him liking me… he only pointed out that I'm attracted to him!"_

My eyes go wide _. "W-Which isn't even true! Anyone would freak out when someone's that close to you!"_ I bury my head in my pillow. _"Those butterflies in my stomach… those were just flukes! Who just goes and licks people's necks anyway, huh!? That's so creepy, **anyone** in their right mind would freak out like I did!"_

I lay there for what seems like hours, just thinking about my tall friend. The more I think about him though, the more it turns into me trying to convince myself that I _don't_ like him. Finally deciding I've been laying there long enough, I decide to head to the dining hall.

I walk out of my room and lock the door behind me. _"He's arrogant, he's rude, and he's good at manipulating people… and the most important thing, he's a guy! I've always liked girls, always!"_ I stalk down the hall, internally fuming. _"He was so wrong about that! Besides, he licked my neck before he said it! Anyone would make a funny sound if someone did that to them!"_

As I skulk into the dining hall, I see Mondo and Taka at each other's throats. I'm instantly snapped out of my funk as I rush over to them.

"Woah, guys, what the hell are you doing!?" I say, forcing them apart.

Mondo sneers. "I've had it with this fucker's holier-than-thou attitude! He needs to keep his shit to himself!"

Taka leers at him. "You're simply angry that you can't solve anything without violence! Do you know what this cretin did earlier Makoto?" He turns to me and points at Mondo. "He attempted to start a fight with me right in front of Junko!" He gestures to a very tired Mukuro, who simply waves at me. "She could have been hurt...!" He then reels on him. "He has no balls what so ever!"

"Oh _really_ douche, you sayin' that you have more balls than me!?" Mondo says, edging closer to him.

"I am!" He says, crossing his arms in challenge. "I'm tougher than you in every aspect!"

"We'll fucking see about that!" Mondo spits. He turns and looks at me. "Hey bro, you feeling better?" I give him a short nod. "Great! Now we'll have a damn witness! You ready to do this?"

Taka glowers at him. "I've always been ready! Bring it on!"

" _W-witness?"_ It suddenly dawns on me. "N-No wait-" Before I can even object, I'm lifted off my feet by each of them grabbing an arm. They then dash out of the dining hall, with me kicking and screaming the entire time.

* * *

"G-guys, isn't there a better way to face off than this?" I say, raking my hand through my hair. "A sauna test of endurance seems a little extreme, don't you think?"

Right now we're standing in the bath house, with Taka and Mondo glaring daggers at each other. Mondo is the first to reply.

"Damn straight it's extreme! But it's the only fucking way I'm gonna teach this punk that there's no one out there tougher than me!" He says crossing his arms.

"And it's the only way I'm going to be able to put this delinquent in his place!" Taka says, throwing off his jacket. "The first one to peel out of there is to be publicly exposed as a loser! That's why you're here, Makoto!" He pulls down his pants and I turn away from him.

"Ha!" Mondo snorts. "I'm not even gonna undress! I'll take you down in my clothes, you little bitch!"

 _"This again... wait, this again?_ I start slightly. _"Crap, the eHandbook...! I need to keep it from getting broken!"_

I turn to the gang leader, blurting the first thing that comes to mind. "But Mondo, your clothes are going to absorb your sweat! That'll keep you cooler than Taka; it wouldn't be a fair fight!" I say, raising an eyebrow at him. "You wouldn't want to be cheating, would ya?"

Behind my carefully schooled incredulous look, I'm freaking out. Was that seriously the best thing I could have come up with...!?

He looks at me shocked. "I-It would!? Fuck no, I don't want that!" He quickly strips down. "It's a damn good thing you're so smart bro, I wanna take down this puss-bucket on fair ground!"

I nod, not looking at either of them until I'm certain they have towels around their waists. _"I'm glad he trusts me enough to believe what I say… even if it's total bullshit."_ Once I know it's safe, I turn to both of them again, and they drag me through the bath to the sauna, firmly shutting the door behind them.

I'm left standing there for a good two hours before I peer into the glass window. "Uh, guys? Are you alright in there…?"

"Perfectly fine!" Taka says, sweat pouring down his face. "I could go another eight hours or so!"

"Oh really?" Mondo says, pompadour sagging downward slightly. "Lookin' like you're a little red in the face to me, man. You might want to quit before you pass out!"

"My face is naturally red!" Taka says, laughing slightly. "I think you're the one who should leave, you look like you're a little out of breath!"

As they continue their banter, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see Mukuro looking at me, arms crossed. "Are those two idiots seriously in there?" I nod. "Why are you even watching them?"

I sigh with a shake of my head. "They wanted a witness to their battle."

"Well I need to talk to you, so I'm gonna spring you out." She gestures for me to move off to the side, and I nod, not really understanding what she's doing.

She moves so that her face is directly visible in the window and puts on a Cheshire-like grin. Before I can ask what she's doing, she throws the door open wide and yells out.

"God damn Brows, you're hung!"

Taka's hands fly to cover his crotch, even though it wasn't visible in the first place because of the towel. "J-J-Junko! What are you doing in here!? It's definitely the guy's time to use the bath house!"

"Uhm, Taka?" I say, doing my best not to laugh at the look on his face. "It's actually night time."

His face is a brilliant shade of crimson, and he immediately walks over and shuts the door to the sauna. "Makoto! Go out to the front and make sure no one else gets in here! We need to finish our battle in peace!"

I mock salute and turn to leave with Mukuro behind me, but not before I hear Mondo's barking laugh. "Dude, your girlfriend is nuts!"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

* * *

Once we're safely out to the locker area, she flops down on the bench and begins fanning herself with her hand. I decide to remain standing, not wanting to lower my guard around the girl I don't actually know anything about. She glances up at me and shakes her head.

"You might as well sit down. I'm not going to pull anything." I give her a hesitant nod and sit down on the bench across from her. She regards me for a few moments before she speaks again. "I have a lot of questions for you, Makoto." Her voice sounds similar to how she usually has it, but it's much cooler than it normally is. More natural.

"And I have a lot for you, Mukuro." I say, crossing my arms.

Her eyes widen slightly at my use of her actual name, and she glares at me. "Let's start there. How exactly do you know my real name? Your memory should have been wiped with everyone else's..."

"Oh, it was." I say with a nod. "I've just been through this once before."

I try to keep my voice as nonchalant as possible, but on the inside I'm kind of freaking out. I'm not entirely sure if this is the way I should handle this... but being blunt seemed to have worked with her the first time.

She looks at me surprised before her expression sobers. "I think you may need to explain from the very beginning."

So I do. I tell her all about the first time, who died, when they died, who killed them. I tell her about Junko's plans to kill her from the very beginning to hide her actual identity, and about how she nearly succeeded. The entire time I talk, she looks at me with an extremely troubled look on her face, flinching slightly as I go over certain parts involving her sister.

"So after your sister executed herself," I say, taking a breath after the long winded explanation. "She left a red button that was supposed to let us out of the building. Once I pressed it though... I ended up blacking out. The next thing I know, I'm back in the classroom where I originally woke up, with everyone who died alive and kicking."

She stays quiet for what seems like an eternity before nodding at me. "...I believe you. Even before now, you were never the type to tell a lie like this. You'd let it slip almost instantly." She shakes her head sadly. "I'm… not surprised that Junko killed me. There's nothing on this earth that she loves more than causing despair. Especially if it's her own." She then plays with a strand of her hair, falling silent.

I clear my throat to get her attention. "Now I have a couple questions for you." I say, looking her dead in the eye. "First off, why are you working with Junko in the first place? You don't seem to be completely… insane. What's your goal?"

She twirls her hair slightly. "…It was so she would love me again." I look at her, stunned. She continues in a small voice. "From the very beginning, we were all we had. But when I went off to join Fenrir, things changed. For the longest time after my return she had refused to even acknowledge my existence… until one day." She gets a faraway look in here eyes. "She came to me asking for her help with this plan; a plan to cause despair in everyone, so they could all enjoy it as much as her." Her eyes become slightly misty. "She- She said she would forgive me if I did… and her love is all I ever wanted in life. It wasn't hard for me to agree."

My eyes widen as I look at her. "You… so you'd gladly watch all of us die so that she'd love you…?"

"No." She says, frowning. "Never gladly; you all are our precious friends you know. Even if you don't remember it."

My temper flares suddenly. "Then… why!?" I say, nearly shouting at her. "Why would you go through with this horrible plan if you care so much for all of us!?"

She doesn't meet my gaze. "I'd bet you'd do anything for your family, Makoto. She's all I have in this world…" She stares at her right hand where her tattoo would be. "I was blindly hoping that we'd all be able to live together here. It was ignorant, I know, but… it's what you all were planning to do in the first place." She looks directly at me. "But now my resolve has hardened."

I eye her suspiciously. "What… do you mean…?"

She doesn't answer me directly, but instead moves to where she's sitting beside me on the bench. "This plan… is destined for failure. From what you've told me, you already know the entire scope of our plans. You know who she is, you know what she wants, and more importantly... you have the tools to stop her." She sighs and tilts her head up. "You have hope. So the only thing I can do is give my sister exactly what she wants…" She lightly grips my hand on the bench. It's uncomfortable, but I don't pull away. "I'm going to make her despair as much as I can… by helping you all escape."

I turn to look at the soldier, and I nearly gasp in surprise when I see tears freely falling down her cheeks. "Mukuro…"

She suddenly continues, cutting me off. "I know what I've done so far is unforgivable. You have no reason at all to believe what I'm saying, and I don't expect you to. But... now I know what I need to do." She turns to me, gaze hard. "If you have anything else to ask me, I'll do my best to tell you what I know. You may think I'm lying, but I still feel like I need to tell you."

The way she's looking at me makes me feel like she's sincere. Against my better judgment, I nod at her. "…Alright. Let me start with something that's been bugging me…" I scratch the back of my head. "Why have Byakuya and I been thrown back like this? Does it have something to do with Junko and the plan?"

She looks at me, confused. "Byakuya remembers as well?" I nod. "I see… well to answer your question, not that I know of. As far as I know, she didn't have plans to give you a chance to leave in the first place."

"I'll believe that. A lot of what she did seemed to be whims of hers..." I crack my neck with a sigh. "Next… a lot of the technology that she uses, like Monokuma and those execution devices, does she come up with those herself?"

She shakes her head. "No. She has several followers who are willing to do her bidding at any moment… the most notable of which are former students here. They're willing to do anything for her, and are by far more dangerous than all the others. They're the ones who come up with and maintain a lot of what goes on around here."

My eyes widen. "Students… you mean like us?"

"Right… they were actually in the class one year ahead of us." She says with a sigh. "She got in their heads and corrupted them all, exploiting their deepest fears and weaknesses so that they'd fall into the deepest pits of despair... They're not all always here, but certain ones usually are."

I stop to think for a moment while I process her words. The students she's talking about were freshman like us… except they didn't have two years of their lives ripped away. I feel slightly jealous, but at the same time I feel awful for them. Junko brainwashed them all… and now they all live for despair, completely loyal to the one who put them there. I silently make a vow to try and help them.

"Alright. Next, I'd like to ask you about Kyoko…" I bite the inside of my cheek for a moment. "Where is she now?"

Mukuro goes silent before answering. "The infirmary."

I perk up slightly. "So she's still alive?!"

She nods. "She is, but…" She trails off and looks to the side. "The Ultimate Nurse is keeping her in a medically induced coma. She's safe of course, but I have a feeling that Junko is planning on using her for something. I'm sorry I can't tell you more."

I try not to look as worried as I feel. "I expected as much… if I'm being honest, I wasn't expecting her to live. She was bleeding out so fast… I'm just glad there's a chance that I can save her." I say with a sigh.

She shoots me the smallest of smiles. "I'm sure that you'll be able to. With hope like yours, there's not much that my sister can stand up to." She yawns and stretches out her arms. "Anything else you'd like to know?"

I cock my head to the side, wracking my brain for serious questions. "Well… nothing serious, but there are a few things I want to know about before."

She raises an eyebrow. "Before… what?"

"Before we had our memories wiped."

"…Of all the things you could ask, that's what you pick?" She asks, stunned. "Well whatever, I said I'd answer any of your questions… fire away."

I nod. "Alright so… we were all friends right?"

"Yes." She says, scratching her cheek slightly. "Of course, some of us got along better than others, but that's pretty much to be expected with how some of these people act."

"Well what about you?" I say, tilting my head to the side. "Who did you usually hang around with?"

"Well…" Mukuro seems a little uncomfortable talking about it, but she continues on anyway. "When I wasn't around Junko, I was usually hanging out with either those idiots…" She gestures to the sauna door. "-or… you."

"…What?" I ask, somewhat stupefied.

"Yeah… you were basically the class favorite. You broke down everyone's barriers and managed to change some of the worst people for the better. Even me." She scratches the back of her head. "In the beginning I was treating it like a mission; I wasn't going to get close to any of you. But then you just kept on coming up to me, until I was forced to accept that you weren't going to leave me alone… and that sorta led to my hanging out with Taka and the idiot squad."

I stay quiet for a few moments. _"So we were friends."_ I think, glancing over at Mukuro. _"I'm not really surprised though… she seems to be a pretty nice person going off of what I knew about her before. I was expecting her to be a terrible person like her sister... Talk about a pleasant surprise."_

"Wait…" I say, something finally occurring to me. "Idiot squad?"

She lets out a long-suffering sigh. "Yeah. It basically consisted of Mondo, Leon, Taka, and Chihiro… Chihiro isn't an idiot of course, but he was lumped in together with them because they were always together."

Something clicks as she says this. "Wait… so did Chihiro tell us all that he was a boy last time?"

"He actually got found out pretty early on." She says, tilting her head in thought. "It was surprising of course, but most people didn't treat him any differently than before. He was still the same person we all came to know, just… not a girl."

"Uhm… Do you… remember how Mondo reacted?" I ask, hoping for a good answer.

"He… didn't take it too well at first, from what I remember... I think it was mostly because of the fact that he had a really poorly concealed crush on Chihiro though."

I start at this. "He-He did!? Did they ever make up after that?"

Confused, she nods slightly. "Like I said, it was only at first. Pretty soon they were all good again… even better, actually."

I quirk an eyebrow. "Even better…?"

Before she has a chance to respond, Mondo and Taka come out of the bath, hooting and hollering.

"Bawhahaha! Man, you said it bro! I had no idea you were so awesome!" Mondo says, clapping Taka on the back.

Taka responds with a hearty laugh of his own. "Haha, I have to say the same brother! I never would have guessed how great you were! I apologize for what I've been like so far!"

Mondo shakes his head. "No, I've gotta be the one to apologize. I've been a real shitty person to ya."

I share a look of mutual disgust with Mukuro as we watch the extremely bromantic scene unfold in front of us. "Should we leave them alone…?" I whisper giving her a sidelong glance.

She shakes her head. "Nah. That wouldn't be nearly as fun as what I have in mind." She suddenly gets a wicked grin on her face that isn't entirely her own, and she very loudly clears her throat, catching the attention of the two bros.

Taka's hands immediately fly south and his face turns as red as his eyes. "Junko! Makoto! What are you both still doing here!? It's extremely late!" Mondo only grins and waves at me. I wave back slightly.

Mukuro stretches and stands, very openly eyeing up Taka. "Oh you know, after you told him to look out for other people, I decided to stay behind and talk with him! He would have probably gotten bored all on his own." She then grins at him, clearly enjoying herself at his expense.

"W-Well, whatever the case!" Taka says, waving us off. "It's indecent for a woman to be in here when there are naked men!"

"Awh Brows, don't be so mean to Makoto!" Mukuro says, crossing her arms.

"I wasn't referring to him!" He sputters indignantly. He uses the hand he's not covering his crotch with to point at the door. "Please, just leave so that we may change!"

She only laughs and grabs my wrist. "Well fine, us girls are out of here!" She turns and winks at Taka. "I'll catch ya later, Brows!"

As she pulls me out of there, I can't help but laugh. "Really… do you really like seeing him squirm that much?"

"I need to act like my sister would, remember?" Mukuro responds with a laugh of her own. "Plus... It's just cute when he acts like that." Her eyes go wide and her hand flies to her mouth when she realizes what she just said. She turns to run off, but I catch her wrist.

"Wait!" I whisper, looking at the panicking girl. "You think he's cute?"

"No! It was just a slip of the tongue!" She says, cheeks dusted pink.

I don't buy it for a second. "You do! You think he's cute!" I gasp. "Have you… liked him since before?" I say, leaning in closer to her.

She turns away. "What- No! When did you become such a hen!?" She looks at me and glares, cool demeanor suddenly in place. "It doesn't matter. Drop it." She then turns away from me again and heads to her room, slamming the door shut on the way.

" _That was… a violent reaction."_

* * *

 

Mondo's P.o.V:

I glance back to my newfound bro. He still seems really flustered from Junko's teasing.

"Dude, you alright?" I pull on my jacket and check my hair. Still stylin'.

He looks up at me once he pulls on his tank top. "Perfectly fine, brother! Why do you ask?"

I scratch my head. "Well for one…" I point to his pants. "Ya put those on backwards." I laugh as he scrambles to fix them. "Bro, you must be pretty into her to freak out like that over her seeing your wang."

"B-Brother!" He yells. "I don't have a crush on Junko! She and I are merely friends!"

"Oh really?" I say, crossing my arms. I stare at him until he starts to squirm and finally speaks up.

"W-well…" He bites his lip. "I wouldn't say that I don't find her attractive… T-This simply isn't the situation in which people should be starting romantic relationships!"

I sigh and shake my head, putting my hand on his shoulder. "Bro, you gotta lighten up a little. This situation is pretty shitty sure, but that's no reason not to hang with her."

He stares at me, confused. "What? What do you mean, brother!? We need to focus on leaving this awful place!"

I scratch my chin. "Well… We're definitely gonna get out of here eventually. But we dunno when that's gonna be! No one's sayin ya have to completely stop lookin' for a way out of here, but it wouldn't hurt to spend a little bit of that time with her too."

"But we do spend time together! We're always searching the school together you know!" He says grinning.

I sigh and shake my head. Poor bastard has no idea what I'm actually talking about!

"Naw man, I meant with _just_ her. Maybe in one of your rooms or something?" I say, wiggling my eyebrows at him.

He cocks his head to the side. "You mean like… to study?"

I almost fall over. Is he that much of a prude!? "Dude, have you ever even _been_ with a chick before?"

"Of course not!" He says, crossing his arms. "It would have gotten in the way of my studying! Not to mention…" He kicks at the ground. "I've never really looked at a girl in such a way before I met Junko…"

I rub my hand over my forehead. "Man… you gotta be shitting me right now! You're like a fucking grade school kid!" I crack my neck. "Alright bro, what I meant by spending time alone with her… is sorta like studying. 'Cept what you're gonna be studying is her bod, got it?"

It takes him a bit to process my words before his face lights up. "W-W-What are you talking about!? No way! That's completely inappropriate for someone our age! Not to mention we haven't even been out on a date yet…! That's not following proper procedure!"

I shake my head at my bro's outlook. "Dude… if you wanna make it happen with blondie, you've gotta be forward with her!"

"I do not wish to simply "make it happen" with her brother! I wish to have an actual relationship!" He looks surprised by his own words, but he doesn't try to take them back. "What about you and Chihiro? Do you wish to simply "make it happen" with her?"

I bite my cheek to keep myself from yelling. "I already told ya bro, me 'n her are just friends!"

"That's not how this is going to work!" He says, crossing his arms. "You made me confess my feelings for Junko, so it is only fair that you come clean with me about your crush!"

I start to yell without even thinking. "I didn't fucking make you say anything about it! Why the hell should I spill my guts about Chihiro if you're just loose-lipped!"

"Aha!" He says, triumphant grin on his face. "So you do like her! I was correct all along!" I mumble a curse under by breath at my screw up.

"Fucking fine, I think she's cute! Happy?" I say, glaring at him. "That doesn't mean I'm gonna do shit about it, though!"

"But why brother!?" He says, shocked look on his face.

"'Cause…" I say, rubbing the back of my neck. "We're like, total opposites. I'm loud 'n stupid, and she's smart 'n nice. Not to mention I'm on a ten person losing streak right now!" I kick one of the lockers as I say this, cursing it to hell.

"Ten person…" Taka trails off for a moment and then snaps his fingers. "You mean the last ten girls you've asked out have rejected you?"

I sigh, nodding a little. "It's only with girls who I actually like though, not the broads I just hit and quit. Whenever I get nervous.. I end up yelling and cursing a whole fucking lot, and they end up getting scared and running off." I cross my arms. "I don't want to fuck up what we've got going on just to add another person to my streak."

"Oh come now brother, I don't think she would do that to you!" He claps me on the back. "Chihiro seems like such a nice person from what little I've talked to her!"

"That's the other thing!" I let out an exasperated sigh. "I've only known her for two weeks! I barely know anything about the chick, but I feel like I've known her for years! It's too fucking weird for me, you know?"

He starts slightly. "You mean you feel that way as well?"

I feel my eye twitch. "...You sayin that you think that about Junko too?"

He nods. "Like we've been friends for the longest time. For whatever reason, I didn't have nearly as much trouble with her as I do with other people when I first meet them! Actually…" He starts grimacing slightly. "It's been like that with most everyone here… that I've talked in depth to at least." Taka shakes his head. "But that's not important right now!"

He walks up to me and gives me a stern look. "Whatever the case may be, you still like her, whether or not you want to accept it!" I open my mouth to talk, but he cuts me off. "I'm not saying you must act immediately brother, but you should at least attempt to start a relationship with her! Of course I'll be supporting you when you do decide to try!" He turns away and starts to walk off, but not before turning back to me and grinning one last time.

"It's the least I can do after you helped me sort out my own feelings you know!" He then walks out of the locker area, shouting a very loud goodnight as he leaves.

I stare after him, seriously confused.

_"Did... Did I just get lectured by someone who doesn't know shit about dating?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you're aware, this was made years ago before DR3 was released. Mukuro's personality is based off of what we got in IF.


	10. PERSONA!

__ Makoto's P.o.V:

I wake up with a start because of Monokuma's morning announcement. No matter how many times I hear it, it still manages to put me on edge...!

I quickly shower and dress, not wanting to hold up the morning meeting. I stroll out of my room whistling a little tune when someone suddenly taps me from behind.

"Ohmygod-" I quickly round to see Byakuya staring at me. "O-Oh, hey Byakuya! Good morning!" I say, trying to ignore the unmanly squeak I let out.

"Good morning to you as well, Makoto…" He smirks, because he definitely heard it. "I trust that you slept well?"

I scratch the back of my head. "Oh, uh, yeah! Completely fine… why do you ask?"

His smirk fades slightly, with a worried light in his eyes. "After what had happened yesterday… I was concerned that you'd not be able to get a proper night's sleep."

My face heats up. "U-Uh… well yeah! I slept fine…" I can't bring myself to look him in the eye, so I opt to stare at the ground. "Thanks for asking…"

A few moments of silence pass, and I feel like my heart is going to leap up into my throat. Suddenly, something so unexpected happens that I begin to question my existence.

He hugs me.

He freaking _hugs_ me.

My heart is thumping hard against my rib cage as I try to process what's happening. Byakuya doesn't hug people! He doesn't even touch people! So why…!?

"I… was worried." He murmers. His voice is so low that I have to fight to hear him. "I hated… that you had to see such a thing. I'm glad you seem to be alright." Just as suddenly as it began, he lets me go and walks past me toward the dining hall without another word.

I'm left rooted to my spot, trying to slow down my heart beat. I quickly look around to see if anyone saw it, and I let out a little sigh of relief that even the camera seemed to be turned away. He probably made sure of that…

" _He was… so warm."_ I think, trying to steady my breath. _"I don't know what's happening to me! Up till now I was so certain that I couldn't like a boy, and that he was just an egotistical jerk… and in a grand total of two seconds, he made me question **both** of those ideas!" _ I feel myself getting dizzy and I quickly walk back to my room. I make a b-line for the bed and quickly bury my head in the pillow.

" _Oh god, oh god, **oh god**! Why is it that I decide to go through a sexuality crisis during the literal most inappropriate time of my life!? And the one person I could think of to talk to about it is in Junko's care! What the hell!?"_ I suddenly hope that the bed sheets swallow me whole. _"I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with this!"_

I stay still for a good ten minutes before I hop off the bed, deciding I've wasted enough time freaking out. I make a quick pit-stop in the bathroom to splash my face with water before I head out again, this time determined to make it to the dining hall.

After my short journey, I walk into the dining hall. Mondo waves at me. "Yo, Makoto!" He grins. "How's it going?"

"Hey Mondo." I greet, shooting him a small smile. Looking around the dining hall, I notice that someone's missing. "…Where's Chihiro?"

He frowns suddenly. "I went by her room not too long ago… Said she wasn't feeling too good. She didn't even open the door!"

Taka pats his shoulder. "Worry not brother! I'm certain that she's fine!"

He grimaces. "She prolly is, but… I can't help but worry about her."

"Oh, so touching!" Monokuma bellows, suddenly appearing between the two boys. "I didn't know you had feelings for the little geek! Ba-dum, ba-dum!"

Mondo's face goes red with indignation. "Like hell I do! How's it any of your business anyway!?"

"Upupupupu!" He giggles, putting his paws to his cheeks. "It's a headmaster's duty to keep a watchful eye over his students! Of course, that includes when they take their first shaky steps onto the path of _love_!"

"Pardon me saying this…" Celes says, plaster smile firmly in place. "But what does this have to do with your little game?"

"It doesn't!" He cheers. "But since it's just a _little_ too soon for me to give you all your next motive… I've come up with the perfect way to pass the time!"

Leon gets a nervous look on his face. "I'm seriously afraid to ask but… what?"

"I'm going to teach a Sex Ed class!" He says without missing a beat.

…

…

Oh dear god, _what?_

Mukuro immediately replies. "You've gotta be shitting me."

"Nope nope!" Monokuma wags a claw. "I'm dead serious. You kiddies need to properly face the embarrassment of Sex Ed! Oh my, are you guys in luck! I've got diagrams and pictures of STD's and everything! It's gonna be a hoot!"

Sakura raises her hand. "Is attendance… mandatory?" She says with a grimace.

Monokuma looks shocked. "That you'd even consider skipping after all the work I put in…!" He puts his paws on his hips. "Tell ya what, since Chihiro isn't here, I'll let someone else skip too. Juuust to be fair. Decide amongst yourselves kiddies~! I'll be back in a flash with the projector!"

As he disappears, I immediately raise my hand. "I volunteer to skip." My statement is met with immediate protest.

"Like hell bro!" Mondo says with a scowl. "I've gotta be the one to skip, I need to go check on Chihiro!"

I shake my head at him. "What did you think I was gonna do? I'm worried too, you know!"

Sakura steps forward. "While I think we're all eager to leave, I feel like it should be either Mondo or Makoto. I am concerned for Chihiro as well, so I feel it is best if either of them leave to care for her."

While everyone grumbles in agreement, Mukuro speaks up. "I think it should be Makoto in that case. He's definitely more of the caretaker type, ya know?"

Just as Mondo opens his mouth to protest, Taka cuts him off. "I think you should let him go, brother! After the discussion you and I had last night, I think it would be prudent for you to stay for this!" He crosses his arms, turning a pointed gaze on him.

"What does that have to do with me being taught Sex Ed by a god damn bear!?" He says, face crimson. He then turns to me and responds to my silent question. "Look, I'll tell ya all about it later Makoto, but right now I need to get the fuck out-!" He cuts himself off then Taka suddenly flings himself onto his back. "What the fuck!?"

"Run, Makoto!" He says, clinging to his neck. "This is for his own good, he must stay! This information is prudent!" Mondo almost throws him off, but suddenly Mukuro joins in and clings to Mondo's leg.

"Seriously Makoto, go now!" She says, doing her best to impede him. "Standing there gawking like an idiot isn't going to save your ass from this sham of a class...!" I nod at them both before turning tail and hauling ass out of the dining room.

* * *

I can still hear Mondo's screams of protest as the doors to the dining hall shut and lock, sealing the others inside as a captive audience for Monokuma's class. I'm grateful for the opportunity to talk to Chihiro without being watched by Junko, but at the same time… I feel really bad about how it happened.

" _She really is unstable…"_

I quickly make my way to the room with Chihiro's sprite on it and hit the doorbell. I wait there for a few minutes before I decide to try knocking. "Hey, Chihiro? It's Makoto, could you please open up?" I'm left standing there for a few moments before the door suddenly flies open.

"-Woah!" I'm grabbed by my arm and pulled into the room, door slamming shut behind me. I look at Chihiro, who's in a frilly night gown and is currently looking at me with tear-stained cheeks. "Hey, Chihiro, what's wrong? Why didn't you come out when Mondo came by earlier? He's really worried!"

"…" He bites his lip a little and plays with the hem of his nightie. "I… couldn't." He says after a few beats of silence.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Why not?"

He sighs and his shoulders slump slightly. "If I let him see me like this, he'd insist that I tell him what's bothering me… since he's my handkerchief and all." He smiles a little at this, but he suddenly frowns again. "But he's the one person I absolutely can't talk to about it."

I scratch my head, already having a bad feeling about what it is. "You mean about what I told you yesterday?" He nods. "Well… what conclusion did you come to?" I say nervously.

"I…" His lip starts trembling and before I know it, he's launched himself in my arms. "I- Oh god Makoto, I think I like him! So, so much…" He's broken into a sobbing fit at this point and I hug him to me. "Makoto, I… I don't know what I'm going to do! This is the worst!"

I manage to move us over to the bed so we can sit, and I opt to just let him cry for a while. His sobs eventually turn into just sniffles, and I manage to pull him away from me. "Feel any better?"

He nods slightly, blowing his nose into a tissue. "Just a little… but Makoto, what should I do? There's no way he'd accept me if he knew I was a boy! And from what you tell me, he's going to! Not to mention now is not really the time for something like this… Its the worst possible time for it, actually!" He hugs his knees to himself slightly, looking ready to start up the water works again. "This is just so… complicated. I wish I knew how he was gonna react…"

"I, ah… might be able to help with that." His head shoots up and I awkwardly scratch the back of my head. "I talked to Mukuro last night."

"W-What…?" He says, stunned. "Why would you do that? Isn't she our enemy?"

I shake my head. "That's what I thought, but she's… not that bad. I'm still a little wary of her, but she told me that she was going to try and help us escape." I sigh at his dubious look. "I get how you feel, but… I dunno! If you had seen her… I think you would have believed her too."

He quietly regards me for a moment before he nods slightly. "…Alright. If you think she's alright to trust… I'll do my best to do so as well." He then perks up and leans in slightly. "So… you talked to her."

I nod. "I had some questions I wanted answered. I only had a few serious questions, so I decided to ask about our school lives that we had taken away from us. Apparently you were found out last time as well."

He looks stunned for a second, but then he nudges closer to me. "And? What did she tell you? Did you ask about Mondo?"

I nod, a bit put-off by his eagerness. "Well… she said he didn't take it well at first." He looks ready to cry again, but I quickly cut him off. "Wait, let me finish! She told me he didn't take it well at first, but she also said that he got over it pretty quickly! She even said you guys were better off than you were originally!"

He looks a little relieved at least, but then he raises an eyebrow. "Better how?"

I laugh slightly. "She didn't get a chance to say. Mondo and Taka interrupted us when their bro-down ended."

"…Bro-down?" He suddenly shakes his head. "Oh, that doesn't matter! D-Do you think we could go… talk to her?"

"Er." I cough awkwardly into my hand. "There are a couple issues with that…" He stares at me confused and I sigh. "Well… for one, I wouldn't personally feel right about it. I only asked 'cause I thought it would help comfort you a bit… but I think it was better that she didn't tell me. You said it yourself; people could act differently than they have in the past. I don't want you banking on something like that, even if these feelings we experience are leftover from the two years we had erased."

He looks disappointed, but he nods. "…You're right. Thank you for reminding me, Makoto." He puts a finger to his lips. "I suppose… I just need to work up some courage. If I stay here and mope, my chances of success aren't going to get any better…" He nods to himself. "That's right! I need to buck up! I'm still really scared of what's going to happen, but… I have hope that he won't actually hate me!"

Not being able to help myself, I ruffle his hair. "Heh… You know, you don't give yourself enough credit. You've gotta be one of the strongest people I know to make a turn around like that so quickly."

He blushes slightly. "T-Thanks Makoto…" He stretches out his arms and turns to me. "So uh… what was the other reason we couldn't go talk to Mukuro?"

"Ohh. That. Yeahhhhh…" I laugh a little. "Monokuma decided to teach an impromptu… Sex Ed class."

He looks absolutely mortified. "A-Are you serious…?"

I nod a little. "I only got out of it because you weren't there… he said something about being fair or something."

He looks confused. "No one else tried to leave?"

"Oh no, everyone was pretty eager. But Mondo and I both wanted to check on you, so it came down to the two of us… and for whatever reason, Taka wanted Mondo to stay for the class. He and Mukuro held him off while I bolted."

He giggles a little, but then frowns. "I hope he won't be too mad at you…"

I shake my head. "I don't think he will. It was more Taka's fault than anything."

He nods and lays back on the bed. "Well, if I'm being honest… I'm glad it was you who came. I don't think I could have talked to Mondo properly, if what happened earlier was any hint." He looks up at me with curious eyes. "You know… since you've done so much to help me out, would you mind… if I asked about you something?"

I smile down at my small friend. "Not at all. What did you want to know?"

"Are you and Byakuya romantically involved?"

…

"…Huh?" I manage after a beat of shocked silence.

"You know… I've sort of had my suspicions since yesterday." He says, tilting his head to the side. "Byakuya is sort of rude to everyone else, but with you… he seems to be pretty gentle."

I can't help the mess that comes out of my mouth. "I- I uh, no? Not really. I-It's purely platonic, alright? Anyway, I should really go see if that class is over, I-I'll talk to you later Chihiro!" I turn to leave, but he catches my wrist.

"Hold on, Makoto!" He says, surprised. "What's wrong? You were talking like… well, me." I feel my face heat up, but I don't say anything. He sighs. "I'm not going to force you to tell me or anything… B-But as your friend, I'd like to know if something's wrong!"

So I spill my guts. I tell him about everything that's happened between us; him licking my neck, saying I was attracted to him, his abnormal kindness, and the hug in the hall that caused me to doubt everything I knew about myself.

"I-I had honestly thought I was perfectly straight! But after that hug, I ran back to my room and buried my head in my pillow having a near panic attack, because oh shit, _I might be gay._ " I let out a shaky sigh. "How is it that I need to have this major life crisis in the middle of another major life crisis?! It's not alright!"

Chihiro nods solemnly. "I understand that feeling… I was basically doing the same thing after you asked me to think about Mondo." He sighs a little. "Of course I wasn't expecting it; I didn't ever think of someone like that before. And now all of a sudden I do, but he's a guy like me? I was beside myself!" He taps his chin a little. "But tell me this Makoto… do you think there's anything wrong with being gay?"

I look at him in shock. "What? No!" I rub my hand over my arm. "I knew some gay people before I came here, I just… didn't think I was."

He huffs slightly. "Well then… it's not really a problem right?"

"Of course it's a problem!" I near shriek. "This is _Byakuya_ we're talking about! Last time he was treating me like trash, and now he suddenly does _this_ to me...!? Doesn't that make me a masochist or something?" I flop down on the bed next to him. "…Of course that's not really true, he really has changed a bit. I just… I don't know what to do about these feelings. Like you said, it's complicated!"

He stays silent for a while… longer than I would have liked. I glance over to see a contemplative look on his face. He speaks a short while after I turn to him.

"You… should talk to Byakuya about them." He sits up and looks me in the eye, putting a hand to his chest. "From what I gather your feelings seem to be the same as his… regardless of whether or not you feel comfortable with it. I-I think that if you try to discuss your insecurities with him, he'll be more than willing to hear you out."

I gulp. "But… what if he doesn't? I know he's the one who started all of this, but I'm not certain if he feels the same way I do… there's still this part of me that thinks he's just messing with me."

"Look Makoto…" Chihiro starts with a sigh. "I don't know anything other than what I've learned off of dating sims about romance… so... I'm just going to tell you about what I feel." He twirls a strand of his hair between his fingers. "If I could just talk to Mondo about this… I would. Because otherwise things won't change."

I look off to the side for a moment before I turn back to him. "…I guess I'll try talking to him about it… eventually." I raise an eyebrow at him when something occurs to me. "But wait… that motive is coming soon anyway. Can't you tell him after you reveal yourself?"

He shakes his head a little. "I… just want he and I to still be friends after he finds me out. Asking for anything more would be selfish of me."

"Hold up!" I say, sitting up off the bed. "I thought you said you were gonna try your best to succeed?"

He bites his lip. "I-I am! I'm going to do my best to make sure that he and I are still friends!" He looks away from me. "…I never said anything about getting him to return my feelings."

"But why?" I say, crossing my arms. He opens his mouth, but I cut him off. "Don't you dare say it's because he's straight. Because I am proof that _that_ particular preference is not set in stone." My cheeks flush at my words, but I keep a firm gaze on him. He then goes silent and simply opts to stare at his feet, knowing full well that was the exact excuse he was going to give me.

"Look, I'm not gonna force you to confess to him. If you want to just make sure you're still friends first, go for it…" I scratch the back of my head. "I just want you to be happy, alright?"

He looks up and smiles at me. "…Thanks Makoto." He pops off the bed and heads over to his dresser. "You better do what makes you happy, too… I don't like it when you're the one stuttering and I'm not." I can't help but laugh slightly at his joke, even if it was sorta bad.

He comes back with an armful of clothes and looks at me. "O-Oh, uh… do you think you could wait outside for a bit?" He scratches his cheek slightly. "I know we're both boys, but… it's still weird for me." I nod a little in understanding and quickly exit the room so that he can change in peace.

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V:

The next several hours pass in relative peace. It turns out that Makoto and I were in my room for quite some time, because when we left to get something to eat in the dining hall, Monokuma's… "class," was just letting out. Our friends end up stumbling out one by one, with varying shades of disgust and exhaustion clear on their faces. Mondo especially had looked worse for wear, but he managed to shoot me a shaky smile before he quickly left for his room as everyone else had.

Not wanting to know what they faced in the dining hall, Makoto and I quickly made our way to the library. We ended up staying in there for most of the day with our friends out for the count. The first two hours were spent reading, but Makoto had quickly grown bored. He started building a fort out of the books! I tried to get him to stop, but he insisted we could just put them back later. After a while I just decided to help him… and I hate to admit this, but it was really fun.

"Aaaand, there!" Makoto says, finishing the last tower on the outside. "Wow, this has got to be one of the best forts I've ever built! I kinda want to live in it…"

I can't help but agree with my lucky friend. We had used the bookshelves as the main walls for the fort, pushing them back so they touched the wall. We covered the top with a blanket we had pulled out of the warehouse, and piled the inside with blankets and pillows as well. As for the entrance, we ended up stacking the books in such a way where you'd have to crawl through a small entranceway, basically only big enough for Makoto and I to squeeze through. It was really quite the sight.

"I agree!" I cheer, smiling at him. "It's almost a shame we have to take it down…"

He grins at me. "Well, who says we have to? It's not like anyone is reading in here… besides Byakuya, but that's not the point." He stretches. "It's way too magnificent to just tear down! Let's just leave it!"

"You don't think anyone would be mad?" I say, frowning. "I can't help but think someone would get irritated by it."

He blows a raspberry. "Aww, who cares? We worked hard on it!" Suddenly, Makoto turns to look at the clock, eyes widening when he sees that it's already eight thirty. He turns and looks at me in shock. "Holy crap, is it seriously that late already? Come on Chihiro, let's head back…"

We slowly make our way back to the dorms, chatting the entire time. We end up parting ways once he gets to his room, and I quickly make my way down the hall to my own. When I put my hand on the knob however, something suddenly occurs to me.

I want to take a bath.

It's a really strange urge, but I decide that now would probably be the best time to do it… since most people are still in their rooms after all. I turn around and head back the way I came toward the bath house, quickly stripping down and slinging a towel around my torso. Sparing a second to put all of my clothes in the locker with the laptop, I move to grab all the soaps and sundries I need for my bath out of the stuff available.

" _Wow… it's so nice in here!"_ Walking into the main bath, I marvel at the sight of how massive it is. "It's pretty steamy though…" I mumble, wiping off some of the moisture that's already collected on my arm. I quickly wash my hair and body with the shower head before I make a b-line to the bath, shuddering slightly as I sink into the warmth.

" _Jeez… I really get why everyone likes this thing so much…"_ What had I been missing out on? The water is the perfect temperature, and I fight the urge to fall asleep from how relaxing it is. _"I wonder if anyone's ever actually done that…?"_

"Snk… ngh…"

My head shoots up at the loud snore I hear coming from the other side of the bath. _"How on earth…? I-I didn't see anyone else's clothes in the locker room!"_ It's a little too steamy to see who it is… but that doesn't make me want to run and hide any less.

" _But I can't do that!"_ I think, fighting the urge to cry. _"T-They could be in here all night if I don't wake them up! What if someone tries to kill them? They'd be easy prey!"_ Suddenly I'm faced with the biggest dilemma I've faced in a long time: how to go about waking someone up while you're naked, but that person doesn't know you're a boy.

I run over various options in my head. _"I could always call out… but that leaves the possibility that they might come over..."_ I shake my head. _"No, that won't work… maybe I should just… wrap myself in a towel? B-But, that's so risky! What if it's a girl? They might tell me to just take it off!"_ Quickly thinking back to the snore I heard earlier, I don't really think they are… but that doesn't make it any less scary for me.

Steeling my nerves, I quickly exit the bath and wrap my towel loosely around my body, trying not to expose too much. I pad my way around the large bath, finally getting close enough to see who the sleeper is.

And my heart skips a beat.

Sleeping there with his arms propped up on the side of the tub is Mondo. His hair isn't in its usual style, with his dyed hair slicked back from washing. A thin line of droll is trailing from his mouth as he snoozes peacefully.

I quickly turn away from him in panic. _"Why **Mondo** of all people!? T-This is just cruel!_ " I can't bring myself to move closer to the sleeping boy, afraid of what he (and I) might see. Thankfully the steam is obscuring my view, but if I get any closer... I'm not certain it'll still be so helpful!

Suddenly dizzy, I clutch my towel closer to me and use my free hand to cover my eyes as I carefully shuffle my way over to my sleeping friend, peeking between my fingers so that I don't fall. My breathing grows more erratic as I get closer to him, steam not being nearly as helpful as it was from far away. I'm getting a clear view of his toned body, his tanned skin… his handsome face.

I quickly shake my head to clear my mind of those thoughts, but it only serves to make me dizzier. I stumble a little and trip, landing inches from his face.

...

"… _Oh my god, does he have stubble?"_

...

...

" _I-I can't do this!"_

With my panic reaching its limits, I abruptly stand and move as quickly as I can back to my original spot. I grab the wash basin I had used and throw it down as hard as I can, making it smack loudly to the floor.

"What the fuck!?" He yells as he's startled awake. Seeing that my impromptu plan worked, I leave the bath as fast as I can, grabbing my clothes and the laptop from the locker. I don't even bother changing as I book it back to my room, bundle of clothes concealing the laptop.

I slam the door behind me, sliding down it. _"Oh god, ohhh my_ _god."_ There's no way that he didn't see me! _"E-even if he didn't... I was really that close to him! And he was **naked!** "_

...Things definitely just got harder for me.

* * *

My next several days are spent mostly in my room. At first it was because I was trying to avoid running into Mondo, but that didn't help much when he came by my room. He didn't seem to be acting any differently, so I guessed he hadn't actually seen me… but it was still really hard for me not to act more nervous than normal.

When I was originally avoiding him though, I ended up getting started decrypting the files on the computer after I had gotten it running. It wasn't a bad model, though it was a little old. Makoto had also already told me about my computer software that was able to help him and the others, so I was pretty eager to get that started too!

It took me two days of non-stop work to get Alter Ego fully functional. Once it was fully self-aware, I began teaching it everything I could, which thankfully didn't take too long. I then began teaching it about all my friends, especially Makoto and Mondo…

"So, Master," Alter Ego says, smiling up at me. "I'd really like to meet your friends! From what you've told me about them, they seem like wonderful people."

I put my finger to my lips. "Hmm… maybe once we've gone through all the files on this computer. I want to see if we can find anything important on here."

"It shouldn't be too much longer, Master! With both of us working on it, we should have it done within the day!" He nods as he says this, seemingly pleased. "I really can't wait!"

I smile down at the excited program. This really is one of my best achievements… to have created something with a will of its own! A soul! _"It doesn't really matter if he's modeled after me, either… the way things are going, he'll develop his own feelings and thought patterns pretty soon!"_

"Oh, Master?" Alter Ego says, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I do have a question for you though."

"What is it?" I ask, tilting my head to the side.

"Why is it that you hide the fact that you're male? From what you tell me, Makoto already knows, and he didn't treat you any differently. Why is it different for everyone else?"

I shake my head at the program. "That's because Makoto already knew from before. I've already told you about the odd situation we're in, and the even odder one he's in. I never actually _told_ him about it."

"I see." He nods slightly at this. "You know… that's another thing I'd like to look into. I don't think there's going to be any information about his circumstance on this computer, but there has to be an explanation for how he had gotten thrown back in the first place."

"You're right about that." I say, frowning. "But for now there isn't much we can do about that. We need to-"

I'm cut off mid-sentence by Monokuma chiming in over the intercom. "This is a school announcement! Will all students please report to the gym immediately? I repeat, will all students report to the gym immediately? See you all there!" He finishes speaking in an ominous tone.

" _Oh no… could it be…?"_ I shudder slightly, hugging my arms to myself. _"It's only been a couple of days! Is he seriously going to do this now?"_

"Master?" Alter Ego says, looking up at me in concern. "What's the matter?" I look down at the program with a frown. Curse it for being so perceptive.

"I need to go for now… I think Monokuma may be delivering us another motive." I sigh a little bit.

"You mean… to kill?" I nod. "That's awful! You'll be alright master, I just know it!" Alter Ego looks up at me with a hopeful smile. "Is there anything you'd like me to do while you're away?"

I was about to tell him to just continue scanning the files on the computer, but an idea suddenly strikes me.

"Yes, actually! Here's what I'd like you to do…"


	11. Life Fiber: Synchronize!

Makoto's P.o.V:

A serious knot forms in my stomach at the sound of Monokuma's demand for us to gather in the gym. _"It looks like the next motive is here…"_ I think with a grimace. Not wanting to waste any time, I leave my room and lock it behind me.

Just as I start making my way down the hall, someone calls out to me. "Ah, Makoto…!" I turn back to see Chihiro running up to me, worried frown on his face. "Do you think that was…?"

I give him a small nod. "There's no doubt it my mind… It's got to be the next motive."

He shudders slightly, but starts walking in step with me. Then, in a barely audible voice, he whispers to me. "I… asked Alter Ego to start working on something for me."

I'm surprised, but I try to keep my expression neutral as we walk through the halls. "Oh…? What did you tell him to do?"

"Remember how you told me what he did last time…? You know, how you hooked him up and he managed to scavenge information for you?" I nod a little. "W-Well, I decided to better prepare him for that. He's starting to write malware for us."

"Malware…?" I turn to him slightly. "Isn't that like a virus?"

"Yes." He affirms with a smile. "With any luck, he may be able to go into the school's network and corrupt the system that's controlling Monokuma and all the weaponry. None of the computers that they currently run on would be usable, so... he'd have complete control over everything." He starts to fidget slightly. "Of course I'm not certain that it'll even work, but I feel like it's worth a shot…"

Suddenly, I'm overcome with a wave of excitement, and I smile down at my small friend. "No… it'll definitely work! I didn't tell you about it before but… Alter Ego actually saved my life."

"W-What!?" Chihiro yells out for a second, but quickly schools his voice back down to a whisper. "He… saved you?"

"Yeah!" I say, remembering the memory fondly. "We had all thought he "died" after his execution, but Alter Ego managed to work his way into the school's network. I was voted guilty for something I didn't do, and just as I was about to be crushed in "detention"… he stopped the machine, and dropped me into the trash chute to get away from Monokuma."

We continue walking for a while in silence, but after a while he speaks up. "He… wants to meet you. You and Mondo, I mean.'' He fiddles with his skirt. "I was a little hesitant at first, but… now I know it's a good idea. The way you were talking… It sounded like you were his friend."

I smile, keeping my eyes forward. "We were. He tried so hard to help us all… he even risked his life because he wanted to be useful to us. Kyoko didn't really think of him as a person, saying he was only programmed like that, but… I did. He had his own thoughts and feelings, which is why he helped us like he did." I stretch my arms a little bit. "So yeah, I definitely considered him my friend."

He smiles with the smallest of blushes on his face, but he doesn't say anything else. The rest of our trip is filled with a comfortable silence.

* * *

We enter the gym to see a very impatient Monokuma glaring at us. "Hey hey, what took you two dweebs!? I've been waiting for sooooo long!"

I frown at him. "We only got your message ten minutes ago!"

"And everyone else was here five minutes ago!" He huffs slightly. "You children have no motivation! You've fallen into a state of complacency, completely comfortable with your lives! None of you are stirring the pot, shuffling the deck, or even changing your underwear! …Metaphorically speaking, of course! I'm pretty sure someone would have killed someone for being stinky by now." He then strikes a pose. "Of course, I have a plan to shake things up a little bit!"

Mondo glares at him. "The fuck do you mean?"

"Like I said, you guys have become unbelievably _boring_ since that little pop brat's execution. So, so, so! I've come up with a way to motivate you guys into offing each other once more! I _personally_ like this one even more than the last!" He then produces envelopes from behind him, just like he had the last time.

"What I have in my hand… is your next motive! It's thrilling, it's chilling, and most of all, it'll definitely cause some killing!" He tosses the envelopes up in the air, each fluttering to the floor slowly. "Upupupupu! Now, just take the envelope with your name on it, but don't open it! I wouldn't want you spoiling the surprise just yet!"

Sakura collects the envelopes off of the floor, and distributes them to us one by one. Once everyone has one in hand, Monokuma speaks up again.

"Okay good! Everyone has their own envelope!" He takes a dramatic pause. "Ahem Ahem, allow me to explain how this is going to work. Contained within those envelopes are secrets of yours, ones that very few people already know... if any!" People start nervously glancing side to side, and he giggles. "Upupupupu! Oh calm down kiddies, it's not like I'm leaking your internet browsing history! That would be _way_ worse! So, if you would be so kind, open up your envelopes!"

Calmly, I rip the seal on the envelope, expecting the same thing as last time.

…

My heart nearly stops when that isn't the case.

Written in a childish scrawl on the piece of paper I'm holding is a single, terrifying sentence:

**Makoto totally has the hots for Byakuya!**

As soon as my brain processes the words on the paper, I quickly crumple it up and stuff it in my pocket. I quickly look up and see mixed variations of horror and embarrassment written on everyone's faces.

Hina is the first to speak up. "Dude, how the heck did you find this out!? I've never told anyone this!"

"Upupupupu! A gentleman never kisses and tells…" He blushes and shuffles his feet a little, but quickly recovers. "So… here's the deal! Unless another murder occurs within the next twenty-four hours, I'll totally broadcast your secrets! Everyone's gonna know the biggest, dirtiest secret that you have, and only the blood of a classmate will keep my adorable lips shut!"

Taka grimaces. "This… this is outrageous! No one would kill to keep a secret from getting out!"

Leon yells out. "Damn straight! Keeping your shit to yourself isn't a reason to do someone in! Period!"

"Oh?" Monokuma says, tilting his head. "People are offed to keep secrets from getting out all the time! Governments, businesses, even regular people do it! Why would it be any different in here? You all have it in you, don't sell yourselves short!"

"We are not selling anything short." Sakura replies cooly. "To kill someone for such a reason… it's inexcusable."

"Upupupupu! Speak for yourselves kiddies, just take a look around the room!" He gestures to everyone. "Do you see it? Do you see the looks on your friend's faces!? They speak volumes more than your words ever will! Don't you get it!? Don't you see!? You can't guarantee something like that! There's something here, a secret someone is going to have to die for!" He turns for a bit, but then looks back at us. "Ah, but enough stating the obvious! The timer starts now kiddies! Either someone dies today, or your secrets get exposed." He then turns back again and waves. "Ti ti effen, ta ta for now!"

As he disappears in a puff of smoke, the atmosphere of the room lightens a tiny amount… and when I say tiny, I mean _tiny._ The tension in the air is thick enough to cut with a knife, but as usual, Taka is completely oblivious to other people's feelings.

"This is absurd!" He cries out, moving to stand in front of us all. "To think he'd we stoop to such a level… he's clearly in the wrong!"

"O-oh yeah!?" Toko screeches, pulling at her braids. "Y-You're completely d-dense if you think no one here has a s-skeleton they weren't willing to kill for!"

"That may be true…" Hifumi chimes in, crossing his arms at the author. "However, there is only a day in which someone has to act! I doubt someone will gain the power up they need to commit such an act in such a small amount of time…" Toko growls at him, but doesn't say anything else and turns away.

Leon snorts. "Yeah, look how long it took Sayaka to try and off someone. It's completely possible!" He cracks his neck. "My secret isn't anything to kill someone over, it's just embarrassing as hell. No worries here."

"Of course…" Celes starts, playing with one of her twin drills. "You can say you won't kill someone all you like, but in the end there's no reason to trust you when you still have your secret in the dark. You could be merely luring us into a false sense of security." Leon stops short at this, glaring at the gothic gambler.

"Well then, we'll make sure to eliminate that possibility!" Taka cheers. "We simply have to tell each other our secrets! That would assure that there isn't a reason to kill someone, because then we'd all already know!"

"It's a good idea in theory, Brows… but take a look around." Mukuro directs. I glance around the room as he does, noticing there are already several people who have disappeared… Namely Mondo, Sakura, Toko, Hina, and Hiro. "If we assume everyone that's still here was gonna spill their guts, then we'd all be overly suspicious of the people who already left."

He grimaces, turning his gaze down to the floor. "…Then I shall make a suggestion instead. Unless you are with someone you wholly trust, do not go anywhere aside from your room! It's not that I do not trust you all, but… I cannot speak for everyone else..."

With those words, he stalks out of the room, clearly upset by our lack of trust in each other. Slowly, everyone else starts to filter out of the gym, until only Chihiro, Mukuro, Byakuya, and I are left. Everyone stays silent.

" _It's obvious we need to come up with a plan of action."_ I rub my arm slightly. _"I don't really want to talk to Byakuya right now, but… it doesn't look like I have much say in the matter."_

It's not that I'm having issues with Byakuya… rather, after I had talked it out with Chihiro, I had come to terms with my feelings for the arrogant heir. It was a little awkward for me at first, but after a few shy attempts at conversation on my end, I got comfortable with him again. I still got the warm fuzzies in the pit of my stomach whenever he'd smirk or laugh slightly, but it wasn't that bad.

" _After what I just got though, I don't think I can calmly face him!"_ I hadn't been planning on telling him my feelings any time soon, no matter how likely it was for him to return them. _"But now I have to tell him about them…?! This is just the worst…"_

Steeling my nerves for my inevitable confession, I sigh loudly to catch everyone's attention. "Screw this noise! I need a bath…" I start walking toward the doors in a huff.

Mukuro snorts, catching on. "You're not the only one. I think I'm gonna join ya!" I turn to her and nod, and she grins at me. "Just make sure to bring your bathing suit, 'kay? I don't want you doing anything funny!"

I flush slightly at her words but nod regardless. Chihiro catches up to us, seemingly uncomfortable for some pretty obvious reasons. "O-Oh, uhm… mind if I join you…?"

Mukuro looks skeptical, but I automatically nod. "Hey, the more the merrier! Right Junko?"

She shoots me a side-long look, but nods and grins anyway. "Shoot yeah! We can raid the warehouse for some cute swimsuits! I don't wanna wear those tacky school-issue ones." Chihiro blushes from ear to ear, and she turns to Byakuya. "You comin' along, prissy pants? Or are you above sharing a bath with us commoners?"

It's obvious by her expression that she's teasing him, but he just shoots her an unimpressed look. "I… may join you all. I'd like to find some painkillers before I subject myself to that, however." He then passes us and exits the gym, but not before shooting me a look I can't quite decipher.

Mukuro merely shrugs. "Whatever, his loss. Let's get going Chihiro! We'll meet up with Makoto after we pick out our things… He can judge us afterward for fun!" She ignores the horrified look on Chihiro's face and drags him off, leaving me on my own.

I sign in relief a little. _"At least he won't be joining us right off the bat… it gives me some time to sort out what I think."_ I exit the gym, hurrying to grab my swim trunks.

* * *

"Woah, cute butt!" Mukuro cheers as I hurriedly pull up my swim trunks. I turn toward the two newcomers, cheeks blazing. She openly grins at me while poor Chihiro looks like a tomato.

"You don't need to keep acting like that Mukuro, Chihiro knows." I say with a sigh.

She shrugs, tone of voice changing to her own. "I had figured as much when you told him that he could come." Chihiro flinches slightly. "Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that I was lying." I throw a bar of soap at her, which she deftly catches with a small smile.

"Oh, shut _up._ " I groan, embarrassed at having been caught with my pants down… Literally. "I'll be waiting inside so you two can get changed."

Mukuro shakes her head. "No need, we're wearing them under our clothes. What do you think took us so long?" She starts stripping down, with Chihiro fleeing behind the divider in the room to strip as well.

"I dunno! Maybe you were actually taking time picking out swimsuits?" I say with a huff, turning my eyes away.

She snorts. "Apparently Junko hadn't trusted my fashion sense, so she went in as Monokuma to pick some out for us. I told him repeatedly that I could handle it, but he kept saying things like "Silly models who only wear strings shouldn't talk!" She was probably afraid I'd pick out something plain and expose her, or something stupid like that..."

Mukuro's words are harsh, but I nod slightly knowing that there's truth to them. This time around Junko had been a lot more unpredictable in her whims, if that Sex Ed class was any indication. Maybe she was having fun tormenting her older sister with things that weren't part of the plan?

"Alright." She says with a slight sigh. I take this as my queue that it's safe to look back, and I turn to her. She's wearing a black bikini with red ribbon bows placed between her cleavage and on her right hip. It looks… really, really nice. "You know, it's not like I was actually changing or anything. You didn't need to turn away."

"Well yeah, but… it's still embarrassing to watch someone undress like that!" I say, scratching the back of my head.

She allows a small smile to work her way on to her face again. "Innocent as ever, Makoto… I'm happy that much about you hasn't changed."

"That…" I start talking, but I cut myself when I notice Chihiro not moving from his spot behind the partition. "What's the matter Chihiro?"

He looks over to me with a nervous look on his face. "I really, really don't like this! Can't we just talk in here?"

Mukuro sighs. "I would say yes, but I can already tell Junko is going to ask for details about her swimsuit picks." I shoot her a dubious look, and she scowls in annoyance. "She may be the Ultimate Despair, but that doesn't mean that she's any less obsessed with fashion and style. I won't be able to come up with a convincing lie about it, so just come out already."

"B-But-!" He protests. He looks to me for support.

"Oh come on Chihiro, it can't be that bad!" I encourage, smiling at him. "I'm sure it'll look fine on you!"

He only shakes his head at me. "T-That's not the issue…!" After a few minutes of silence, he finally sighs and steps out from his hiding spot. His swimsuit… is a lot more daring than expected.

He's wearing a light green two piece suit. The bottom looks more like a really short skirt with ruffles, and is coupled with a bikini top that also has ruffles that creates the illusion that he has a bust… You'd never be able to tell he's a boy looking at him right now.

I stare at him in silence for a few minutes before speaking. "I guess Junko really does know what she's doing…"

He buries his face in his hands. "This isn't helping with what I have to do at all...!"

Mukuro frowns. "Then I assume your secret is your gender?" He nods, and she shoots him a sympathetic look. "I had guessed as much. I'm really sorry this is happening so forcibly…"

He looks at her for a second, but then shakes his head. "…N-No, I had guessed as much already. I've been sort of… rehearsing, for when I tell everyone."

She raises an eyebrow at me. "You told him?"

"Ah, well…" I look off to the side. "I… sorta accidentally let it slip that I knew he was a boy. So after that, I had to explain myself and, well, I told him that motive because I knew it was coming down the pipes. I figured it would be best if he had a little forewarning…"

"So Chihiro's is the same as last time…" She muses to herself. "Am I correct in saying that yours is the same as well?"

My cheeks immediately flush. "Ah, that…" I quickly glance out the bath house's door, looking for any signs of Byakuya. "I really don't feel comfortable discussing it out here."

Both Chihiro and Mukuro shoot me a look of confusion, but quickly comply with my request. We each move to grab the stuff we need to bathe, but I notice Chihiro stops short when he sees a wash basin with a crack in the wood.

"Woah…" I say, eyeing up the damage. "I wonder who did that… Ya think someone got pissed and threw it?"

He looks away from me to hide a blush. "A-Ah, that's… probably not too far off the mark." He quickly grabs another basin and everything else he needs before quickly walking into the bath.

I blink. _"That was strange."_ Deciding to ask him about it again later, I grab my things and walk into the bath, shuddering slightly as the warm air hits my skin.

Putting our conversation on pause, we all take a few minutes to wash off with the showers. I look over in confusion when I see Mukuro washing her blonde hair. "Hold on, I thought that was a wig!"

She shakes her head. "Nope. For the past year and a half I've been growing it out to match Junko's… It's not like I wanted to of course, since long hair isn't practical for someone like me, but she insisted a wig wouldn't be good enough." She sighs, thumbing the blonde locks between her fingers. "…I hate it so much. I'm not me anymore… I haven't been in such a long time."

I look over to the pseudo-blonde with a frown on my face. "You're you right now, aren't you?"

She shakes her head. "…The me I am now isn't someone I know. Junko always tells me, "Sis, you're the perfect soldier, but you're pretty much a disappointment in everything else!"… and she's right. The only thing I could do with confidence was kill. But ever since I left Fenrir and joined her in hopes that she'd trust me, I've more or less lost my sense of self."

"But how?" Chihiro asks, looking over at the stoic girl. "Didn't you kill people during The Tragedy?"

"No." She says, staring down at her right hand. "Ever since I abandoned my faction to re-unite with Junko, I haven't killed a single person. When I first came to Hope's Peak, I was under strict orders from her not to kill anyone. But…" She pauses, biting her lip. "When I got to know you all… when you all came to me not for my abilities, but because you wanted to talk to _me_ , I lost my ability to detach myself like I had in the battlefield. I broke! Suddenly I was doing the one thing a soldier never does, the one true taboo... I began questioning my orders."

She puts a hand over where her tattoo would be, glaring down at it. "I began to wonder what the things she wanted done had to do with you all! And when she launched her plan to start the Tragedy… she ordered me out on the field. She wanted me to become the killing machine I was in Fenrir… and I went. And I fought. I tortured, I attacked, I lead others to despair… but I never killed anyone during it. Something inside me had changed, and… I couldn't just kill anymore. I needed a _reason_."

Chihiro and I stare at her in stunned silence for a few moments before she continues again. "A soldier… doesn't need a reason. They follow orders. But whenever she told me to kill someone "just because," I couldn't! So… she told me that she forgave me. Forgave me for being a disappointment of an older sister, who couldn't even serve her purpose correctly anymore… which is part of the reason I'm in here with you all now. She had a show to run… and I was only getting in the way of what she was doing."

"Y-You just accepted this…?" Chihiro asks, frowning at the girl.

"Of course." She replies immediately. "All I ever wanted was for her to think of me as something more than a disappointment, for her to truly be my sister… it wasn't difficult for me to agree. Just like with this "killing game" of hers… I never wanted it, but I went through with it anyway because she wanted to… experience the despair of watching all her dear friends kill each other. She was basically my world until I came here."

She shakes her head suddenly. "There really isn't a point to me talking about this, though. I've already resolved myself to help you all escape to send her into the biggest fit of despair she's ever faced… I apologize for rambling." She says, with a slightly sheepish look.

I look over to Chihiro, who looks like he's about to burst into a fit of tears. "Chihiro…?"

Without warning, he pulls her into a quick hug. Her eyes go wide in surprise. "I-I know this isn't much of a consolation but… I'm sorry. I had automatically assumed you were in on this because you wanted to be… but you did it all for your sister. What's worse… you… you felt bad about doing it. I-I hadn't ever considered…" Tears start to freely fall down his cheeks. "I hadn't ever considered that you actually were our friend! I'm so, so sorry!"

His words seem to shock her to her core, but she recovers after a moment with a small smile on her face. "Only you… would say sorry for something like that. I'm the one that betrayed you all, remember?"

He only shakes his head. "I-I know you did, but… not everything is black and white. I can't say you were right for what you did, but… you aren't truly evil. I-It was completely wrong of me to assume that you and Junko were the same..."

Not knowing what else to do, she awkwardly pats him on the back. "Let's just forget about it, alright? We have more important things to worry about right now." He nods at her, and she shows him a small smile once more.

She stands and makes her way over to the bath, with me and a now calm Chihiro in tow. Once we're all settled in the water, she starts talking again. "So, Makoto, what exactly was in your envelope? From what you said, it's clear it's not the same as last time."

I sigh dejectedly at the fact that that was the first thing she brought up. I quickly glance back to the door and lean in to my two companions.

"I-It said… 'Makoto has the hots for Byakuya.' I wanted to die when I read that..." I quickly look down to hide the slight blush on my face. Mukuro taps my shoulder and I look up to see a confused expression on her face.

"Do you really...?" She asks incredulously. Not wanting to answer, I look off to the side. "You do…?! How on earth did Junko find that out, Makoto? There's no way it was something subtle!"

My face feels so hot that I might as well be on fire. "There's only one thing that I can think of. But it definitely wasn't my fault! Byakuya sorta... _hugged_ me in the hall the day after Sayaka died… and I freaked out. I didn't think anyone saw, but it seems like she might have…"

She rubs her temples in frustration for a few moments before speaking again. "Makoto… you both should have known better. Now look at the bind you're in!"

"Ah, well…" Chihiro starts, looking pensive. "It's not really a bind. Makoto understands his feelings towards Byakuya, so… what's the issue in telling him? You may not have gotten the whole story, but Byakuya is the one who pointed out Makoto's attraction to him. I'm pretty certain that he likes Makoto as well... from what I've seen, at least." She raises an eyebrow at his words.

"So you're saying that Byakuya most likely returns his feelings?" He nods and she turns to me. "How is that an issue then? You don't have to worry about rejection."

"That's not the issue I'm having, guys!" I say with a frown. "I… I'm nervous. I didn't think I'd have to tell him so soon, you know? I don't know what I'm gonna say!"

Mukuro sighs, ignoring my words. "At least we know your issue is easily resolved… I would say just tell him before Monokuma gets the chance to. There's not much to be done aside from that, you know."

I clutch my head. "I know I have to tell him before U-pu-Pooh Bear does, but I… I dunno how I should go about it!"

"I-I think you're overthinking this Makoto." Chihiro says with a frown. "Just call him to your room and tell him what you're feeling at that moment. If you worry about it too much, you're going to freeze up… at least, that's what would happen to me if I had to confess like that."

I nod slightly. "You're… not wrong." I frown. "I guess I'm just going to have to do it… sorta like ripping a band-aid off."

Mukuro nods at me, allowing the smallest of smiles. "I'm certain that you'll be fine." Chihiro is beaming at me as well, and offers an excited nod as affirmation.

"Okay." I say, stretching out my arms. "Next… this is just me asking out of curiosity, but what's your 'secret' Mukuro?"

She shrugs. "Just something about Junko sleeping with her manager to get into modeling. Nothing awful."

Chihiro and I stare at her in shock. "Nothing awful!?" He says, cheeks flushed. "T-That's… really embarrassing!"

"Not for me." She says flatly. "It's not like I actually did it… it's just something Junko came up with that would sound convincing. I'll just act a little flustered and make up an excuse for it."

"I… guess that makes sense." I say after a moment of thought. "Still, I wonder how Taka is going to react to that kind of thing…"

She suddenly tenses up. "What?"

I flinch, immediately regretting my lack of a filter. Chihiro doesn't seem to catch on however. "Taka? I'd assume he'd probably scold her for her morals or something… why?"

With a stormy look on her face, she abruptly stands. "I need to go." Without waiting for either of us to say anything, she gets out of the bath and hurries into the locker area, leaving Chihiro and I in stunned silence.

"Did… did I say something wrong?" Chihiro says, looking at the door.

I shake my head. "No… it was my bad for bringing it up in the first place. If I'm guessing correctly, she's had feelings for him since before we all lost our memories. She sort of let it slip when we first talked about the situation we're in…" I rub my forehead with an irritated sigh. "I really shouldn't have said anything! Now she's all worked up over how he's gonna react!"

He pats my shoulder a little. "I-I wouldn't feel too bad, Makoto. She's got to be a tough girl… being a soldier and all. I'm sure she'll be fine if she has some time to cool down."

I nod slightly, hoping my small friend is right in his thinking. "So… we didn't really talk about this, but I think we need to come up with a plan. I think the more people whose secrets we can get to share before the deadline, the better."

"You have a point…" He says with a thoughtful expression on his face. "But who are we going to get to talk? A-And more importantly, how? Everyone seemed to be pretty reluctant to talk earlier…"

I screw my face in thought. "Well… I figure the best way to get someone to tell us their secret… is to tell them ours."

"W-What!?" He yells in surprise. "B-But Makoto…"

"I know." I say, looking him dead in the eye. "But I was thinking… wouldn't it be better for _us_ to tell them our secrets, rather than having Monokuma tell them against our will? Plus, if we spill our guts first, they'd feel more inclined to listen to us and tell us their secret in turn! At least, I think they would be..."

He bites his lip. "I'm… I'm not sure if I can Makoto. I don't think I'm strong enough to handle it." Chihiro looks down at his hands, water swishing softly as he pulls them out of the water. "No matter how you look at me, I'm just not a man. It's totally pathetic..."

"No, that's wrong!" I say suddenly, making him jump. "Chihiro, you've gotta be one of the bravest people I know. Most people wouldn't be able to handle all of the stuff I've told you, all the stuff you've gone through… you're definitely a strong person! I have complete faith in you, Chihiro!"

He looks at me with wide eyes, my words having struck a chord with him. After several beats of silence, he finally nods.

"If… If you're there with me when I do it… I think I'll be okay." He says, picking at the ruffles on his bikini. "We'll do it together, right?"

I smile at my friend, happy with his courageous proclamation. "Of course! I'll be with you the entire time, for every single person we tell."

"Seems like I've missed something."

I whip my head around to see Byakuya staring down at us, fully clothed. "O-Oh, hey Byakuya! Why aren't you in a swimsuit?"

He simply raises an eyebrow at me. "I didn't think you people were actually serious about that." He glances over to Chihiro. "Why… are you in a bikini?"

He looks down with a flush on his cheeks. I turn to Byakuya with a sigh. "Long story. Apparently he's still a girl until Junko outs him tomorrow."

He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. "I had guessed the psycho wench was involved somehow. I'm questioning why he just didn't wear it."

I scratch my cheek. "Call it… peer pressure?" I say with a laugh. "I mean, it looks nice on him anyway, so there's no harm."

"But he's male. He should be wearing swim trunks if he wants to be viewed in such a way." He crosses his arms and huffs slightly. "It's contradictory to what he's trying to accomplish."

"I don't know about you Byakuya…" I say with a raised eyebrow. "But even knowing he's a guy, can you _really_ look at his chest comfortably? I don't think I could without feeling like a pervert."

Chihiro looks ready to protest, but he stops himself short when Byakuya nods with a sigh. "...I suppose you have a point."

He frowns at both of us. "H-Hey! How would you guys be perverts? My chest is the same as both of yours...!"

Ignoring him, Byakuya continues. "Anyway, I have something I'd like to discuss with Makoto… Please make yourself scarce."

Chihiro opens his mouth to say something, but he suddenly snaps his jaw shut and complies. I look toward him in confusion as he gets out of the bath. Once he's behind Byakuya, he turns back and mouths something with a smile, giving me a thumbs up.

" _Good luck, Makoto!"_

He then speeds away, leaving me staring his way in confusion. It takes me a few moments to process what he meant, and my heart immediately stops.

" _H-He can't mean for me to do that **now**! That's…!" _ I stop my internal panic attack when I see Byakuya giving me a pointed look.

"O-Oh, uhm… what is it that you wanted to talk about?" I ask, standing from my spot in the tub.

He sighs slightly, looking tired all of a sudden. "When you were with them… did you happen to divulge who the killer was last time?"

"No." I say with a frown. "I don't think it's necessary. I don't want him avoiding him because of something they don't even remember…"

"Good." He says, removing his glasses once they fogged up. "I would have hated for any more unnecessary complications like last time… This is one of the few instances where blissful ignorance is able to be overlooked."

I bite my cheek. "Is, ah… is that all?"

"It was the most important thing I had to say, yes. I assume you've already talked a plan of action out with Chihiro?" He asks with a raised eyebrow. I nod. "Good. If you're together, then you'll both be safe. I'd hate for you to have gone and done something as foolish as to confront someone alone just to keep him safe."

I'm about to disagree, but I internally groan when I remember that's something I'd probably do. "No, that wasn't the plan. He and I were going to go around and talk to people together."

"Very well." He says, turning away. "I'm going to go back to my room for now, so if you-" I quickly reach out and grab his wrist.

"Ah, Byakuya…!" He looks back with a raised eyebrow. "I, ah... have something I need to talk to you about too. Its kind of important."

He turns fully to me. "Well? What is it? I'd like to leave here so that I can see again."

I take a deep breath in an attempt to keep my heart from popping out of my chest. "Alright. I, uhm… don't really know how to say this." I can feel a blush rising all the way to the tips of my ears. "You remember how you told me… that I was attracted to you?"

He nods. "Yes. What of it?"

I bite my lip. _"Calm down Makoto, you can do this. Just tell him! Blurt it out, don't worry, don't think! Just... say it!"_ I scratch the back of my head.

"You… you really might have been…" I take a deep breath, suddenly dizzy with panic. "You were sorta…"

"Spit it out." He says flatly. "I'd rather not be here all day."

" _This guy…!"_ I think, starting to get irritated. Deciding I don't want to drag this out, I opt to just get it over with. "Youwerecompletelyright." I look away from him after I force out these words.

"Speak clearly." He demands, edge of irritation in his voice.

And then… I snap.

"I said, you were right!" I nearly yell, looking at him. "You were completely right! I didn't think I'd ever like a guy, but for whatever reason these stupid feelings developed for _your_ arrogant ass!" I'm nearly seething at this point, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "I wasn't ever planning on acting on it, but thanks to you hugging me in the hall like you had, fucking _Junko_ figured it out and made _that_ my secret! I didn't want you to hear it from a stupid bear, so I had to suck it up and tell you anyway, alright!?"

His eyes widen slightly at my proclamation and I internally curse. Leave it to me to call him an arrogant ass during a confession. _"He's gonna be pissed, I just know it...!"_ The next several moments feel like an eternity as he stays completely quiet, eyes closed in thought.

"You are… completely tactless." He says after a while.

…

" _Hah?"_

Not understanding why he said that, I try to question it. "What-"

He immediately cuts me off. "You heard me. You're tactless. You're a commoner who's completely oblivious to how things actually work in the world. You're too short. Your hair defies logic. You trust people way too easily. Your sunny disposition is enough to make me gag, and you piss me off to no end on a regular basis. You can't even…"

" _What the hell?!"_ I scream internally. _"If he's gonna reject me, does he have to do it by pointing out every single thing he doesn't like about me!?"_ But no matter how much I internally plead for it to be over, he just.

Keeps.

Going.

"- probably haven't read anything that isn't a comic book. You're a virgin. You probably make straight B's at _best_. You can't be left alone for a single second, because if you are you'll run off and do something stupid and self-sacrificial..." He takes a step closer to me.

"...but regardless of all those things…" Another step.

"...You still managed to catch my attention." And another.

Soon he's standing right in front of me, and my brain is having trouble keeping up with what's going on. "You probably weren't aware of this…" He leans down until his face is right in front of mine. "But you've been mine since the day I became interested in you."

He quickly straightens himself and walks over to the bench, grabbing a towel. "Here." He says flatly. "Dry yourself off."

...I don't really understand what's going on anymore, so I just nod and do what he asked.

My face is completely flushed as I look up at him after having dried off. "Alright… uhm, why exactly did you have me do that?"

He walks back over to me and pulls my body to his. "So I could do…this." He leans down until our faces are a literal inch apart, before he rushes in and kisses me.

But calling it just a kiss would be an understatement. He's a lot gentler than I would have expected… but it still manages to take my breath away. After a second of just normal kissing, he bites my bottom lip. I yelp, and he takes the opportunity to stick his tongue into my mouth.

"Mmpf…!" Panicked, because I really haven't ever been kissed like this before, I sort of mimic what he's doing and let him take the lead. He takes free reign of my mouth, practically mapping it out with his tongue. I'm pretty sure the noises I'm making are embarrassing, but I can't really hear anything over the sound of my heart pounding at the moment.

I'm pretty sure we've made out for a good five minutes before he breaks off the kiss, looking down at me with a smirk. "Hm. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd have done that before."

I blush to the tips of my ears and scowl at him. _"Asshole can't give a compliment without an insult tied in, can he?"_ I take a deep breath to try and steady my breathing. "Whatever…"

"Tell me, how did you know to breathe out of your nose? Most people don't get that right off the bat. Don't tell me you did _research_ on it." His smirk widens ever so slightly, and it sort of feels like he's teasing me.

"I just… did what I thought was right? I dunno!" I huff slightly, finally calming down. "So… does that mean we're… dating?" I look up at him with an uncertain frown, and his smirk softens into the smallest of smiles.

"I suppose we are." He says, turning away slightly. Before I know it his face shifts back into a neutral expression. "I think we've been in here long enough. I'm going to go back to my room… I want you to drop by later after you and Chihiro are finished trying to save the rest of those idiots from themselves." Without waiting for me to reply, he promptly turns and walks away.

I sigh and quickly follow suit, wondering why I have to go to his room. When I reach the locker area he's already gone, but there's definitely someone else there.

"Chihiro?" I ask, looking over to the boy sitting calmly on the bench. "I thought you had left…?"

"O-Oh!" He says, glancing nervously off to the side. "Well... I had at first, but I got concerned after a while and decided to come back after I changed… a-and ah… yeah."

I raise an eyebrow at him, but don't press the issue further. "Alright then? I'm just gonna change real quick and then we can go, alright?" He nods slightly and turns away, and I quickly strip down. It's just as I'm pulling up my pants that he decides to speak up.

"S-So, uhm… Did you really look up how to make out, or…?"

I promptly trip, and make a mental note to be more careful of Chihiro from now on.


	12. Mystery Croquettes!

Makoto's P.o.V:

"I'm sorry! So, so sorry!"

I sigh, holding the ice pack to my head as Chihiro fusses over me. "It's not that big of a deal Chihiro!" I roll my eyes. "It's just a little lump! A teeny tiny one!"

"B-But you tripped because of my comment!" He says with tears in his eyes. "I should have had better timing… or better yet, I should have not said anything at all!"

I blush slightly, remembering his question. "N-No, you can't help but be curious about what you overheard… I was just a little clumsy is all."

Currently Chihiro and I are sitting in the dining hall. When I tripped, I ended up smacking my forehead on the bench, and Chihiro had immediately panicked and pulled me here so that I could ice my head. It didn't even hurt that badly to be honest, but he insisted that I do it.

He finally relents a little, sitting down across from me. "W-Well, I still feel bad… does it hurt still?"

I shake my head with a laugh. "Dude, no. It didn't even hurt in the first place." I take the ice off my head and move my hair so that my forehead is visible. "How's the damage?"

He peers at my forehead, before nodding. "You can't see it, but I can't be sure that'll be true for long… at least your hair covers it up." I let my hair fall back into place. "So… do you think you can answer my question from earlier?"

I laugh, but blush anyway. "So me nearly dying doesn't warrant a pass?" He huffs at me, with a frown that clearly says no. "…To answer your question, I really didn't. How would I have, anyway? There aren't any computers here, so Google is kinda out of the question!"

He bites his cheek, knowing I'm being vague on purpose. "I guess that makes sense…" It's clear by the look on his face that he wants to say something else, but he simply shakes his head and changes the subject.

"So… if we're going to do this… w-who do you think we should talk to first?" He asks, hugging himself slightly. "I… can we please not do Mondo first, at least? I don't think I could handle him right off the bat..."

I nod, silently noting the irony in his words. "Sure thing… If I'm being honest though, I haven't really thought much on who we should talk with first." I say, scratching the back of my head. "If I had to pick a good starter, I think either Leon or Taka would be the best."

"I understand Taka, because he wanted us all to talk in the first place…" He says, tilting his head. "But why Leon?"

"He said that his secret wasn't anything to kill over, remember?" I shoot him a worried frown. "…I think it's up to you to pick who you want to talk with first. I'm okay with telling whoever you choose, alright? No worries."

He nods, biting his lip partially out of thought, but out of nervousness as well. I can't possibly imagine how he feels doing this, but I've already resolved myself to help him through it. I smile reassuringly as he nervously glances up at me, seemingly having come to a conclusion.

"I-I think… I think I'd like to speak with Taka first." He nods to himself slightly before looking up at me with anxious eyes. "When should we…?"

I smile at him. "No better time than the present!" I stand and stretch, letting out a content sigh as my back pops. Chihiro is looking up at me with something akin to horror on his face. "What? You know it'll be better to do it right off the bat! If I let you sit here and think, you're not going to be anywhere near as comfortable with it as you are now… which isn't even a lot in the first place!"

I walk over to him and offer him a hand, which he takes after a few moments. He stands up and straightens out his skirt before turning to me with a nod.

"L-Let's go."

* * *

By the time we finish our short walk over to Taka's room, Chihiro is shaking like a leaf. I put a hand on his shoulder and smile at him, offering my silent support. He takes a deep breath to steady his nerves before lifting his arm and hitting the buzzer to the moral compass' room. We're only waiting for a second before Taka opens his door.

"I apologize for the delay! I was reading a novel and I lost track of time!" His response seems automatic, but he grins at us once he actually sees who it is. "Ah Makoto, Chihiro! What a pleasant surprise! Is there something that you needed?"

I bite my cheek slightly before speaking. "Well, yes. We were hoping to talk to you about some… things. Can we come in?"

"Of course!" He shouts, gesturing for us to come in. Chihiro and I share a look before we both enter, Chihiro flinching slightly as the door closes. Taka moves in front of us and quickly straightens out his books that he has placed on the table before turning to us. "Well? What is it that you wanted to discuss?"

"W-Well…" Chihiro starts, grabbing at his skirt. "Makoto and I really don't want someone to murder someone else for a secret, s-so… we're going around to people's rooms to talk about them."

"Are you? I agree with what you're doing, however…" Taka says with a frown. "You saw how people were acting earlier! No one is willing to simply share something like that, even though it's causing a huge amount of animosity between us!"

"We know that." I say, scratching the back of my head. "But that's why we're telling people our secrets _first_ … so that they're more willing to talk to us about theirs. Even if they don't… at least we were able to let ours out of our own accord, instead of having Monokuma out us. I don't want to give him the satisfaction."

"Y-Yeah!" Chihiro says, looking up at him. "So… would you be willing to listen to us Taka?"

He looks down at him, shocked. "That you would even need to ask… of course I would! I'm more ashamed by the fact that I had not reached this conclusion on my own!" He motions for us to come over to the table and sit, moving his books off of it. "Feel free to start whenever you're ready! I'm prepared for whatever you have to throw my way!"

We sit in silence for a moment before I glance over to Chihiro, who looks about ready to cry. "Do you want me to go first…?" He quickly nods. I turn to Taka and take a deep breath. "Well… my secret… was that I had a crush on Byakuya."

His eyes widen, seemingly surprised. "Really!? I would have guessed that you were infatuated with the late Sayaka...! Of course… her attempt at your life probably quelled any feelings you may have had for her." He nods to himself at this for a moment, before looking up at me with a grin. "Worry not Makoto! As they say… It is okay to be gay!"

I fight the urge to smack my forehead at his words. _"Of all the things to say...!"_ I look over to see Chihiro's shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter, and my annoyance vanishes instantly. _"At least it sorta helped him calm down…"_

Taka frowns over at Chihiro. "Hey! This is no laughing matter! Homosexuality is not a joke!"

Chihiro quickly composes himself. "I-I'm sorry… but the way you worded it… I couldn't help but laugh!"

Taka frowns. "The way I worded it… I thought everyone said that!"

I shake my head. "Not… really. I don't think I've ever actually heard someone use that phrase seriously until now."

He crosses his arms. "Well regardless of how others mean it, I meant it seriously! I have no issues with your sexual orientation at all!"

I snort. "Well at least that makes one of us. I didn't come to terms with it until a little while ago, I always thought I was straight! I basically went through an identity crisis over it, you know?"

He nods. "I can see how it would be shocking! But, at least you accept it now, correct?" I nod. "Then there is nothing to worry over! I'm certain everyone else will be fine with it!" He turns to the programmer. "Now then… what is it that Monokuma had threatened you with Chihiro?"

All traces of his earlier laughter gone, he looks down to avoid Taka's gaze. "I'll say it, b-but… please just- just don't freak out."

"Oh come now, Chihiro! I don't think a girl like you could possibly have a secret that terrible!" This phrase only makes tears come to his eyes, but suddenly he lifts his head and looks Taka dead in the eye.

"B-But that's just it! I'm… I'm not a girl!" As he says this, his voice wavers slightly… but there's a confidence there I hadn't seen in him before.

Taka just laughs. "Come now Chihiro, now isn't the time to be making silly jokes like that!" His laughter dies off under Chihiro's steady but teary gaze. "It's… just a joke, correct? There's no way that you're a boy… right?"

Chihiro simply shakes his head. "I-I… I'm not joking Taka. I'm really a boy…" He then proceeds to explain himself, with Taka merely listening on in a stunned silence. He stutters often, and he has to pause a few times to collect himself, but he's doing his best to stay strong as he reveals something that he's kept to himself for so long.

"A-And that's… it." He finishes with a shaky breath. "I-I'm sorry for keeping it from you all for so long, but… I haven't told anyone that in a very long time. Nothing ever seems to go _right_ when I try..." A few tears slip down his cheeks as Taka continues to stare at him, uncharacteristically quiet.

After a very tense bit of silence, Taka manages to find his words. "If… If everything you just said is true, then it really is quite shocking. Near impossible to believe in fact! But…" He crosses his arms. "There is no reason for you to lie to me! That's why I'll believe you! But there is one issue we need to address!"

He looks up at him in confusion. "What-"

"Do I continue to allow you to wear girl's clothing, or not!?"

…

… _What?_

"What the hell, Taka?!" I near screech. "You find out his biggest secret, and _that's_ what you decide to say!?"

"This is an important issue Makoto!" He yells back, standing. "There isn't anything about this in the rule book! I don't know if he's _in_ or _out_ of dress code! Such a grey area…!" Taka clutches at his head. "How could such a grey area exist in the rule book!?"

Chihiro and I simply watch on as he begins to rant about the importance of rules and how it's an abomination that something as important as this isn't made clear in it. I look over to him and shrug. "That… could have been worse."

"Y-Yeah, but…" He looks concerned as Taka continues to flip his hypothetical shit. "Is he going to be alright? I know I should be glad he's flipping his lid over _this_ instead of me being a guy and all… but I can't help but feel bad about it."

I sigh and look up at Taka. "Technically speaking, what he's wearing _is_ appropriate for school. He's probably the most appropriately dressed out of all of us aside from you!"

This gets him to stop mid-rant as he scratches his chin slightly. "I… suppose that's true. And I've already given you a pass on your fashionable hoodie for safety reasons, so I can hardly get on to everyone else for being poorly dressed…" He nods to himself. "Very well! You may continue as you are Chihiro!"

"T-Thank you…?" He says, fidgeting slightly. "I-Is that all that really bothers you, though?"

"Well… yes." He pauses to think for a moment. "You are still the same person we've all come to know you as. As surprising as the fact that you're a boy is, it doesn't change who you are… I think. Is there anything else that you've been dishonest about?"

He quickly shakes his head. "No! I wouldn't… this was the only thing I've ever lied to anyone about."

Taka nods after shooting Chihiro an appraising look. "Then there is nothing to worry about! The fact that you are a male does not make you any less of a person, regardless of your reasoning to hide it!"

 _"...I guess he can drop a pearl of wisdom every now and then, too…"_ I stare at Taka, stunned by how easily he moved past it. _"He's a lot more reasonable than he seems."_

Chihiro stands and straightens out his skirt, smiling up at Taka. "Thank you so much… for not hating me."

Taka smiles down at him, and pats him on the shoulder. "We're… friends correct? Friends do not start hating each other over something like this." He clears his throat. "Now, since you've told me your secrets… it is only fair for me to say my own as well."

Chihiro and I look at him expectantly, and after a while he finds his voice. "I… My grandfather… he was involved in a political scandal. Because of this, he left my family with a heavy debt to repay after his death. My parents tried their hardest to pay it off and support us in the process… but it was extremely difficult. For a while, my mother was unemployed… but then she had suddenly gotten a very well-paying job. One that paid too well."

He takes a shaky breath in. "She… had started to sell herself. I didn't find out about it because I was away at school, but… I wish I had been there to stop her when she had first had the idea!"

"W-Wait…" I say, taking this new information in. "Couldn't your father have stopped her…?"

He shakes his head with a grimace. "No. She didn't tell him either… I only found out because… I had…"

Chihiro's eyes widen. "Y-You mean you caught her?" He nods solemnly. "Oh Taka, I'm so sorry…"

"I do not need sympathy." He says calmly. "I… got her to stop. That's what matters. I made her promise to me that she wouldn't any more, to value herself more… She swore to me that she would stop, because she loved my father and I more than anything in the world…"

"That's… pretty heavy." I say, frowning at him. "And you were willing just to tell everyone that…?"

"Of course!" He yells, usual demeanor coming back slightly. "I would to anything so that someone doesn't die a needless death! This is not worth another person's life!"

I grin, standing up as well. "Glad to see that we're on the same page!" I turn to Chihiro. "I think we should get going… we have several more people to talk with after all."

"Allow me to accompany you, then!" Taka says, nodding towards me. "There's strength in numbers after all!"

I nod. "I don't see anything wrong with it, but…" I scratch my head. "Who do we go and talk with next? I can already say for certain that Celes and Hiro probably won't be willing to talk. Celes is… Celes, and Hiro is just paranoid."

"Very well…" He says cocking his head to the side. "If I may make a suggestion, I think we should go around the school and see if there's anyone else in a group right now. It may take a while, but I think it'll be effective!"

"We can just check that now." Chihiro says, pulling out his e-Handbook. He quickly goes to the map and flips through the three areas we have access to: The first floor, the second floor, and the dorm area. "It looks like… Leon, Hina, and Sakura are all in the pool area."

Taka looks at Chihiro with a stunned expression. "You could determine their location with your e-Handbook!? What sorcery is this...!?"

"I-It's not sorcery!" Chihiro says with a laugh. "The map displays the locations of everyone in the school… or at least their handbooks. I only said they were in the pool because Hina and Sakura's handbooks are in the girl's locker room, and Leon's is in the guy's."

"Even _I_ knew that, Taka…" I say with a huff. "Do you even use it?"

He fidgets slightly. "Well… no. It's very strange to touch the screen to navigate through it. I don't really… use things like this that often. I'm used to simply using buttons to navigate."

I snort. "Don't tell me… do you have a flip phone?"

"Yes!" He grins. "It's so much simpler to use than these things… a lot cleaner as well! I have to constantly wipe the screen on this thing!"

I shake my head, quickly moving the topic forward. "Well, now you know… we should get going though, we don't know how long they're gonna stay there!"

Receiving a few nods of affirmation, we all make our way to the pool. The way there is filled with light conversation, which is much better on the nerves than silence. Once we get to the locker rooms however, we come upon an issue.

"Is Chihiro… just supposed to enter through the guy's side?" Taka asks, clearly stumped. "Wouldn't that give him away right off the bat?"

"Well… yeah." I say with a nod. "But he's gonna tell them anyway, so it'll be a good segway into the topic."

"P-Plus…" Chihiro says, glancing up at the Gatling gun mounted to the ceiling. "I don't really have much of a choice in the matter. L-Let's just go…"

We each scan our individual IDs and enter the guy's locker room, before quickly heading out to the pool. Leon is the first to see us and waves.

"Yo, guys!" He looks confused when he sees Chihiro who was following behind me. "…and Chihiro?"

Sakura looks up from where she was meditating on the side of the pool. "Hm? Chihiro… how did you get in through the men's side? The gun should have gone off…"

Hina continues to obliviously swim laps.

"W-Well… about that." He says, looking off to the side.

* * *

The reactions Chihiro had gotten from them were… mixed. Leon actually accepted it pretty quickly for whatever reason, but I didn't bother to question a good thing. Sakura looks surprised for a moment before simply saying that it was alright. Hina… well, Hina didn't believe it until she forcefully groped Chihiro's chest.

And I mean _forcefully_.

"D-Do you believe me now!?" Chihiro says, covering his chest with his arms. An embarrassed blush is evident on his cheeks.

"Hina… I think you may have gone a little overboard." Sakura chides. "Why couldn't you just believe his words? He had no reason to lie to us."

"I sorta get where she's coming from though." Leon says, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, he's way too cute… it was sorta hard to believe that he's really a guy."

"See see? Leon gets it!" Hina says, puffing out her cheeks. "But… I believe you Chihiro. Even flatties have something to grab on to…"

"My question is…" Sakura starts, standing from her spot on the floor. "What was your intention in telling us this?"

"Isn't it obvious!?" Taka yells, pumping his fist into the air. "We are currently sharing our secrets to get rid of any doubts between us! The only way we can be certain that no one will die is if we get everything out in the open!"

Leon snorts. "Dude, you're still going on about that? There's no way certain people here are gonna squeal."

"We get that." I say, shooting him a pointed look. "But the idea here is that if we can at least get some people to talk, then the chances of someone dying go down by a lot."

He grimaces. "…Guess ya got a point there…"

"I… agree with what you are saying Makoto." Sakura ventures, looking off to the side. "If we are truly to be united against the mastermind, we cannot allow ourselves to separate over something such as this."

Hina huffs slightly. "Well… even though it's embarrassing as heck, I don't really mind if it means we can all trust each other a little more…"

"Very well then!" Taka cheers with a grin. "Let's not waste any time, Makoto and I shall start things off!"

The responses to Taka's secret are all varying degrees of sadness. Leon especially looked put-out by his news for a reason I don't really get. The responses to mine weren't as sad, but more… surprising? Sakura and Leon seemed surprised at first, but quickly accepted it. Hina's only comment was a quick "I ship it," to which Leon and Chihiro fell into a fit of giggles over.

Leon takes a deep breath. "Man, you sure know how to kill a serious mood Hina."

"But I was serious!" She pouts. "I can really see them working well-"

"Hina, no." I start. "Please, just stop."

Sakura lets out a huff of amusement at her antics. "Getting back on track now… I think it's time for us to share our secrets at this point. I shall go first." She stays quiet for a few moments before finding her words. "I… am no longer a virgin."

…

The next several moments are filled with a shocked silence from all parties in the room. Hina is the first to talk.

"No. Way. You already cashed in your v-card Sakura!? What the _hell_! Why didn't you ever tell me!?"

"It… hadn't seemed like it was important." She says, looking off to the side with a sheepish look on her face. Chihiro, Leon, and Taka are openly gaping at her in shock, and I'm pretty sure I'm no better.

"It _is_ important Sakura! This is what you're supposed to tell your besties!" She puffs out her cheeks. "I'm gonna be getting the details out of you later! That's a promise!"

Taka suddenly recovers, crossing his arms. "Hold it! Those actions aren't appropriate for someone your age! What possessed you t-" I quickly put a hand over his mouth.

"Not what's important here Taka!" I smile over at Sakura. "You… know how he is. Don't mind him."

She smiles at me. "I appreciate your concern Makoto, but he's right. I would usually agree… but there are certain circumstances that led me to do what I did. I will not go into further detail here."

I nod, already knowing what she's talking about. _"Kenshiro huh?"_ I think solemnly. _"I sort of understand now. I had forgotten about that…"_

Hina sighs, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Guess it's my turn now… One time, I ate four twelve-count boxes of donuts… in one sitting."

Leon chokes on his spit a little. "Isn't that like… forty-eight donuts?!"

"How did you not throw up…?" Chihiro asks, amazed.

"I-It was for a contest! The person who ate the most would get free donuts for life!" She looks embarrassed, but then glares at us. "I… I had to do it! I pretty much passed out after the fact and woke up with frosting and sprinkles in places I don't wanna say, but it was completely worth it! Now whenever I go into a Dunkin' Donuts, I just flash a card that I have, and they hook me up!"

" _That's… pretty gross."_ I think with a sigh. _"But that's just Hina. Ultimate Donut Nut on patrol."_

"I just wonder how you managed to eat so much but still maintained that hot bod of yours." Leon snorts. "It's not natural."

Hina blushes to the tips of her ears. "You think I'm hot…?"

" _That's not the part you should focus on!"_ I think, rubbing my temples slightly.

He just laughs. "Well yeah? I'm pretty sure even Makoto and his gay ass thinks you're hot."

I flip him the bird. "Shut up. I still like girls, but I like Byakuya too." He glares at me and I shrug, turning to Hina. "He's right though, you are hot."

She shuffles her feet with a sheepish grin on her face. "Well… thanks guys."

"Now that that's out of the way…" Taka says, looking over to Leon. "What exactly is _your_ secret?"

"I gotta say it…?" Everyone nods at once. "Fuck, fine… So, being as good in sports as I am, you imagine that I get a lot of tail right?" No one answers, but Chihiro blushes to the tips of his ears and Taka looks ready to set off on a full-blown rant about lewd behavior.

"Well… there was this one person. Smoking hot, tall, gorgeous eyes… and they offered to mess around. Being the gentleman I am," I let out a snort. "I had no right to refuse a request from such a fine piece of ass. We go to one of those fuck n' fly motels, and she starts using her mouth in a way that should be illegal. Eventually I get her off of me, and I pull off her dress with the best intentions to return the favor… only…" He mumbles the next part, so lowly that no one could hear.

"What?" Taka asks, fuming. "Speak up!"

He groans, looking off to the side. "She was a dude…! And not a cute one where it wouldn't even matter like Chihiro, I'm talking broad shoulders and hung like a damn horse!" Chihiro quickly moves behind me, face crimson. I bark out a laugh.

"And you called _me_ gay!" I wipe a few tears from my eyes, and his face flushes.

"I didn't know, alright?! We definitely stopped after that, and I hightailed my ass outta there!"

Sakura shoots him an incredulous look. "I would think that you'd have noticed something like that… couldn't you see his… thing, through the dress?"

"I wasn't paying attention!" He says, trying to defend himself. "Look, I know it's bad, but I was only thinking about getting my dick wet at the time!"

"Y-You're… not helping your case at all." Chihiro manages, peeking from behind me.

He rubs his face in his hands with a groan. "…Fuck, I know! There's really no casual way to say, "Hey, I accidentally got a blowie from a guy!" I know I look like a flaming ass right now, but I'm serious when I say that I haven't actually tried to get into anyone's pants since!"

"Too scared to try again?" Hina asks in all innocence.

He growls. "Fuck no! It's just that… that sorta made me realize that I can't just be going around and sleeping with anyone that comes my way. I gotta get to know em a little bit first, ya know?"

"...To make sure they aren't a male in disguise?" Sakura asks. His face flushes instantly.

"Whatever!" He yells, storming off. "You all are a bunch of assholes!"

Hina looks after him for a second before heading in the same direction. "I'm… gonna go talk to him. I think he might have taken that the wrong way…" Without waiting for any responses, she hurries after him, leaving us all in a stunned silence.

"I… had not meant any offense." Sakura says, looking crestfallen.

"W-We know that!" Chihiro says, looking up at the muscular girl. "I think it might have just been a really sore subject for him… that's probably why he acted like that. I-I'm sure he'll be fine!"

Sakura stays silent for a few moments before turning away. "I think I'm going to work out for a while… if you'll excuse me." She then makes her way into the girl's locker room without sparing us another glance.

"That… ended badly." Taka says, frowning at the doors.

I sigh, scratching the back of my head. "Yeah… I might have teased him too much… I think I'll have to apologize to him later."

Chihiro frowns at us. "At least we've made sure that they don't have a motive for murder. T-That's what we're trying to do right? Don't beat yourselves up."

But his words don't do much to lighten the mood. "I… suppose you are correct." Taka says after a few moments. He shakes his head a little and quickly shifts back into his usual demeanor. "Very well! Who's next on our agenda!?"

* * *

Our next attempts aren't nearly as successful as our first few. Hiro had absolutely refused to come out of his room, sputting something about the mafia and organs. I already had a feeling about what his "secret" was, so I led Taka and Chihiro away without much of a fight. He won't do anything.

Celes and Hifumi on the other hand were more than willing to listen to us. Upon learning about Chihiro, Hifumi started muttering something about traps that no one bothered to question, and Celes had simply commented about how Chihiro may want to take up poker. They both listened intently to our secrets… but that's all they did. Neither of them had even considered spilling theirs.

Toko… I had actually asked them not to go to Toko, for some pretty obvious reasons. I told them that she'd be more willing to listen to Byakuya than any of us… which of course wasn't a lie.

And so here we stand, waiting in front of the one door Chihiro had been putting off the longest.

Mondo's.

He looks even worse for wear than when we were standing in front of Taka's door. Telling people had gotten easier for him after that, but… there was no denying that this time was different from all the rest to him. So much hinged on Mondo's reaction to him that I wouldn't be surprised if he fainted on the spot from stress alone.

Taka, much to my surprise, was also pretty tense. "He's… the last one we need to speak with right? No one else?"

I nod, wondering what Taka is stressed about. "No. Mondo is the only one left. Should I…?" I ask, gesturing to the buzzer. Chihiro mutely gulps, but gives me a shaky nod regardless. "All right then…" I hit the buzzer, and a minute passes by in a tense silence before the door finally opens, revealing a groggy Mondo wearing nothing but a white tank top and boxers.

"Hey guys…" He starts, yawning into his hand. "What's up?" He glances to Chihiro and Taka, both of whom are visibly stiff. "What's wrong with you two?"

"Ah, brother!" Taka starts, albeit a little forced. "Do you mind if we speak to you? There are important matters that we must discuss."

Mondo doesn't bother to hide his confusion, but nods anyway. "Sure I guess." He gestures for us to enter his room. Once we're all in he closes the door and turns to us. "Alright, what's with your faces? You all look like someone just took a piss in your cheerios."

Taka seems to have hit a second wind, as he suddenly perks back up to his usual demeanor. "Brother, in order to insure that no one dies because someone else was trying to keep a secret, Chihiro, Makoto, and I have all been going around and sharing ours with everyone!" He stops for a moment and nods to himself. "Most people were willing to cooperate with us, aside from Hiro, Hifumi, and Celes! Toko as well, however Byakuya seems to have her in check. I-"

"Wait." Mondo says, cutting him off. "Is that why you're all here? To get me to talk?" He's got a dangerous look on his face, but it softens when Chihiro pipes up for the first time.

"I-I know it'll probably be hard for you Mondo." He says, frowning slightly. "It… It was terrible for me. But I…" He looks up at Mondo, tears pooling in his eyes. "I… did it. I managed to tell everyone. A-And if someone like me can do it… I'm more than certain that you can at least tell us… your friends."

Mondo's expression shifts into a pained one. "…I… I don't think I can tell you guys just like that though! I mean… shit! Why can't you just wait for that fucking bear to out me tomorrow, huh!? At least then I won't have to say it my damn self!"

"But that's just it Mondo." I say, frowning up at him. "It's because we _don't_ want to hear it from Monokuma that we're doing this. We're all in this together, you know… and we trust you. Whatever it is won't change how we look at you."

"The fuck…?" He questions with a grimace. "How the hell can you say that shit without knowing what it is, huh!? Anyone can fucking talk Like that Makoto… you can't say a damn thing like that without knowing what it is!"

"Except I can!" I yell, not backing down. "I can say that, and I did! You're our friend! You probably have a good reason for keeping it to yourself, I get that!" I sigh. "But… in the end… sometimes you have to show a little weakness. It's only by showing your weakest parts of yourself that you can actually get to know people better; to form a true bond. Showing a weakness doesn't mean you're weak."

He shakes his head. "What…? How does that-"

Chihiro of all people is the one who cuts him off. "I-It's true Mondo!" He yells, looking up at him with teary eyes. "What Makoto's saying makes sense… I-I never thought I'd ever tell anyone here about me. But this… this is more important! I-" He chokes back a sob. "I'm afraid. So, so afraid to tell you… but I know I have to. Because if I don't tell you, there won't be any meaning behind it! It won't make my weakness go away! I-If I'm the one to say it though, it… gives me control. It makes me strong."

"Chihiro…" He says, looking down at the small boy. Any traces of anger are gone from his face, leaving only fear and sadness. "I… get what you're sayin', alright? But… it's not the same. I don' think you get how bad it is. It's somethin' that effects my whole damn life."

"Brother…" Taka sighs. "Chihiro's secret is no laughing matter either. I had thought mine was bad, however… It's much more severe than that."

"…" Mondo stays quiet for a while, glaring down at the floor. Just as I think that he's going to refuse, he speaks up in a small voice. "…I get it. I'll… fess up." He plops down on the bed, still looking troubled.

"Would it help if we talked first?" I venture. He doesn't say anything, but he give us a small nod.

I look toward Taka, and he nods slightly. He tells Mondo about his mother whoring herself to support her family. He grimaces and offers an apology.

I go next, telling him about my… attraction to Byakuya. This stirs more of a reaction out of him, surprise blatant on his face. I explain the issues I had with it myself, and eventually he nods, saying "you like who you like, I guess."

Finally, it's Chihiro's turn. He's visibly shaking, and I put an encouraging hand on his shoulder. He takes in a shaky breath, clutching his skirt, clearly trying to steady his nerves. We all wait in silence, Mondo looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"...So..." After a while, he manages to speak up. "I-I… I'm actually a boy, Mondo."

There's a tense silence that follows his confession, as expected. Mondo's eyes go wide and he stares at the boy, speechless.

"You're… you're what?" He says, staring down at him. "That's… no way…"

Tears start to freely fall down his face. "I-Its true…" He breaks out into a full-blown sobbing fit. "I-I know- I _know_ I'm a terrible person for h-hiding it from you all, b-but... it's true!"

He then proceeds to explain himself, sobbing the entire time. He tells Mondo all about the bullying he went through, his experiences with trying to change back, all of it. Mondo simply listens on in shocked silence, clinging to every word that Chihiro says.

Once he stops talking, Mondo finally finds his voice. "You get that… this is sorta fucking difficult to believe right?"

He nods solemnly, wiping at tears. "I-I do. But… it really is the truth."

Mondo starts shaking his head numbly. "This… this is a really shitty joke!" He suddenly yells, startling Chihiro. "There's no way you're a dude! No fucking way…!"

Chihiro bites his lip to keep it from trembling, before he suddenly starts as if something occurred to him. He quickly walks over to Mondo and grabs his hand, before quickly placing it on his chest. Mondo instantly tenses, before a look of realization crosses over his features.

"You… weren't just fucking with me? You're really… you're really a guy?"

Chihiro nods, and quickly steps away from him. "I…I understand if you don't want anything to do with me anymore. I-I lied to you all about such a huge thing! B-But…" His tears start up again. "I really don't want to lose you Mondo! I really, really don't! You're so important to me…"

Mondo suddenly stands and walks over to the sobbing boy. Chihiro looks up at him with something akin to fear on his face, before quickly looking away and trying to hold back more tears.

The air is so thick at this moment that I'm having trouble breathing. Now that it's happening… I have no idea how this is going to play out. I nervously turn my gaze to Taka, who's just as tense as I am, and then finally back to Mondo.

He just looks at Chihiro with a troubled look on his face… before he suddenly crouches down and pulls him into a tight hug. Chihiro's breath visibly hitches.

"There's no way in hell I'd hate you for something like this! No way in hell…" He says, voice cracking slightly, as if he's trying not to bust out into a fit of tears. "You're my bro, girl or not. You guys… you're all dumb as shit for getting involved with me. I'm not a good person; a pretty fucking bad one actually."

He pauses for a minute before he opens his mouth again. "I… my bro, my real, blood related bro… he died because of me." He keeps his hold on Chihiro as he starts talking. "He and I were racing the day he retired from the gang… and I had cut into the oncoming traffic trying to get ahead of him. But… I wasn't paying attention! I wasn't _fucking_ paying enough attention to the road to see that there was a truck coming my way! But Daiya… he knocked me out of the way... and got hit instead."

He takes a shaky breath in before he finds his voice again. "He… died right in my arms. He just smiled at me… and made me promise to keep the gang together. I couldn't do shit to help him…!" He grinds his teeth. "I didn't want to fucking let him down, so… I didn't say shit to everyone in the gang about how he died. People started calling me the "strongest"… but that's a damn lie! I couldn't even tell them that they were wrong, that I was fucking _weak_ , because I was scared they'd break apart if they knew the truth!" His hold tightens slightly. "I couldn't let my brother down again…!"

Even though I heard this before… It's somehow better hearing it from him. Not because he was forced, but because he trusted us.

It's comforting in a way.

Chihiro only stands there, his own tears stopping as he holds the shaking Mondo. Just as Mondo moves to pull away, Chihiro quickly puts his arms around him and stops him in his tracks.

"I'm… I'm so sorry that happened Mondo." He says, hugging the gang leader. "I know it's not any consolation, but… I-I think you tried your best. You kept your gang together after all, right?" He nods slightly, pained look on his face. "As long as you did that… I think you _are_ strong. I-It must have been really hard to keep that all to yourself for so long…" He pats his back slightly, small smile on his face. "You're not alone. You don't have to carry that kind of burden all by yourself, you know… you have Taka, Makoto, and… and me. You have your friends." He finishes, squeezing him a little for good measure.

Mondo doesn't say anything at first, but puts his arms back around him. After a moment of just hugging, he finally lets out a dry laugh. "You really are dumb as shit…" A few tears streak down his face, but he's smiling. Not a grin, not a smirk, but a genuine smile.

"S-So touching...!" Taka yells suddenly, crying as well. He suddenly launches onto Mondo and Chihiro, hugging them both. "I'm so sorry you had to deal with all of that, brother! But Chihiro is completely right… you have us now! There's no need to worry about something like that anymore!" He's crying even more than Mondo had been, and Mondo can only huff and grin at his bro, reaching around to pat his back.

I shrug, and launch myself into their hug as well. I smile at them, settling myself between Chihiro and Taka. _"This really… this really worked! They're okay…!"_ I start tearing up. _"They're going to be alright!"_

Mondo lets out a small chuckle. "You guys are crying more than me…"

And for once, I don't mind crying one bit.


	13. Scissor Blade!

Makoto's P.o.V:

Mondo sighs as he flops down on his bed. "So… what do we do now? Do I hafta… go talk to everyone else?"

I shake my head. "Not if you don't want to…"

He sighs. "I think I'll jus' do it tomorrow when we all get together… like fuck I'm gonna go search for all those asses right now."

"That's fine." Chihiro says, smiling at him. "I'm glad you at least told us…"

He scratches the back of his head, a little sheepish. "I couldn't just _not_ tell you idiots after you said you trusted me so much… which I still don't fucking get, if I'm being honest."

"Like we said before!" Taka grins, slapping him on the back. "We are friends! There's no reason for us to not trust you!"

I sigh, glancing to the clock on the wall. It's five-thirty. "It's later than I thought it would be."

"Yeah." Mondo says, stretching. "Say, you guys wanna grab some food? I'm starved."

"That sounds wonderful, brother!" Taka says, grinning. "Makoto, Chihiro, will you be joining us?"

Chihiro shakes his head. "Actually… I think I'm going to go take a nap. I feel a little drained."

He nods. "Very well! What about you Makoto?"

"I'm gonna have to pass." I say, smiling a little. "I've gotta go talk to Byakuya about Toko. We need to get her secret out of her somehow…"

Mondo nods. "I get that. Seems like the type who would jus' snap and start cutting people up."

"Brother!" Taka hisses, frowning over to the biker. "Don't be so rude!"

"What?" He says, glaring over to the hall monitor. "I'm jus' sayin! Besides, Makoto's gotta think the same thing too, since he's goin' out of his way to talk to her!"

Taka shakes his head. "Brother, did you not consider that maybe Makoto simply wanted to speak to Byakuya?"

"Taka! That's not it at all!" I yell, face flushing. I glance over to see Mondo screwing his face in thought. "Don't actually consider it! Talking to Toko is a serious issue!"

Mondo suddenly grins, shooting me a knowing look. "Oh, I'm _sure_ Makoto. Bet that's the only reason you're going to talk to her "White Knight"…"

"Dude, shut up!" I screech, face boiling.

"Worry not, Makoto!" Taka says, smiling over at me. "We've already accepted your relationship with Byakuya. Just make sure that you're safe!" He huffs. "I've already accepted that I can't stop the lewd behavior, but I will not tolerate ignorance! Be sure to use a condom!"

…

There are a couple of beats of stunned silence before Mondo erupts into laughter. Chihiro flushes to the tips of his ears, and my face feels like I just took a dip in a volcano.

"Dude, are you fucking serious right now?!" Mondo manages, tears in his eyes.

"Of course!" Taka says, crossing his arms. "I don't understand what's so funny about this, however. It's a serious issue!" This only makes him fall back into a new wave of laughter, clutching his stomach from the force of it.

"Alright, I'm done with this." I say shortly, face on fire. "I'll see you all later." I turn and stalk over to the door, quickly opening it.

Chihiro stands from his place on the floor, following me out. I close the door firmly shut behind us before letting out a groan.

"Why is it that Taka always manages to say the most embarrassing things?" I rub my face in my hands, willing the blush to go away.

Chihiro only laughs slightly, patting me on the shoulder. "It's just how he is… you know he doesn't mean anything by it."

"I know!" I sigh. "But that's what makes it harder! I can't get mad at him for it!"

He laughs again, but then lets out a yawn. "Well anyway, I think I'm going to go take a nap… I really am tired." He walks over to his room and opens the door, turning to me one last time with a mischievous smile on his face. "Have fun with your White Knight, Makoto!" He rushes into the room before the shoe I throw can hit him.

I rub my forehead and walk over to retrieve the impromptu projectile, wondering how I managed to get it off my foot so quickly. _"Talking about running on auto-pilot…"_ As I slip it back on, I glance around trying to think of where Byakuya may be.

" _He said he wanted me to go by his room… so he's probably there."_ I muse trotting my way over to his door. As I move my hand to the buzzer, I feel a nervous lump form in my throat. _"…Why am I freaking out? I'm just going in there to talk to him about our situation with Toko and Genocide Jill. Nothing bad!"_

Right?

I groan and scratch my head in irritation. _"Stupid Taka! Stupid Mondo! And I can't believe I'm saying this, but stupid Chihiro! They put these completely stupid thoughts in my head damn it! I have a serious job to do here!"_

I take a deep breath and push past the nervousness that really _shouldn't_ be there, and hit the buzzer to his room. After a minute or two of waiting, I hit it again. "Is he not here…?"

As if responding to my quietly asked question, which I think is weird because the rooms are soundproof, the door opens. My breath hitches when I see him but because of two key factors.

He's currently wearing only his usual black pants and white collared shirt, which is unbuttoned slightly. His hair is messy from sleep, and he's not wearing his glasses again. Basically… he looks pretty good right now.

...Or that's what I would think, if not for the second factor, which is that he's got the scariest death glare I've even seen on his face.

"What?" He grinds out, clearly not pleased at having been woken up.

"I-I, uh…" I fidget slightly under his piercing gaze. "You had told me to come by…"

He stays quiet for a moment before grunting slightly in acknowledgement and motioning for me to go inside. I quickly make my way in and he slams the door shut behind me, moving back to his bed. He sits and rubs his temples slightly in an effort to wake up.

"I shouldn't have allowed myself to take that nap…" He grouses, clearly irritated. He then looks up at me, irritation showing even more on his face. "Why are you standing there like an idiot? Come over here."

Not wanting to poke the half-asleep bear, I do as he asks and flop unceremoniously onto the bed next to him. He glances over to me and sighs. "You just had to do it like that, didn't you…?" He reaches over to the night stand by his bed and grabs his glasses, sliding them on.

He speaks in a low voice, probably so that Junko can't hear us. "Let's get down to business. I asked you here for a couple of reasons, the first and foremost being the issue of Toko and Genocide Jack."

I nod. "Right… I'm guessing you had the same thought as me, right? That Jack might remember too?"

"Right." He says, pursing his lips. "We can't afford to have her come out and say something that might tip the others off to what's going on. We need to take the appropriate course of action to prevent that."

"Which means…" I say, biting my lip. "We need to go and talk to Toko." I scratch my head. "But how do we… turn her, without tipping her off that we already know about her secret? And Junko, too?"

He huffs. "I have an idea. Toko switches when she sees blood, correct?" I nod. "Then we'll have to show her some."

I screw my face in thought. "But… the infirmary isn't open to us yet, right? How are you going to get blood?"

"I have that part covered." He says simply. "All I need you to do… is lead her to the bath house."

"Hah?" I ask, sincerely confused.

"You heard me." He adjusts his glasses slightly. "It's the only place where we can't be watched. So that's where we'll have to have her turn."

"Well…" I start, feeling on-edge. "If you say so Byakuya."

"And I do." He snarks. He stands and moves toward his dresser, still speaking in a low voice. I have to strain a little to hear him. "I'll get dressed and head over. After ten minutes, I want you to tell her that I'm in trouble and take her there. Do not say anything unnecessary." He returns to the bed with an armful of clothes. He looks at me with a smirk on his face. "Now... unless you'd like to watch me undress, which I'm certain you do, I suggest you leave."

My face erupts in a flush before I rocket off the bed. "I-I'll be going then!" I swear I hear him chuckle slightly as I dash out and slam the door shut behind me. I grimace as I realize that he was _teasing_ me. "Stupid…" Since when had his asshole-ish nature start to be endearing!?

Grumbling to myself, I sulk over to my room and flop down on my bed. I stare at the ceiling for the ten minutes I had to wait, trying really hard not to think about anything. I check the clock and see that the appropriate amount of time has passed, and I heave myself off the bed and head over to Toko's room.

Once I get to her door, I pause for a moment. _"This… should sound like an emergency, right? I really don't know if I can do this… I'm not really much of an actor."_ What do people do when they panic…? As I wrack my brain for answers, I decide it's really not worth putting much thought into. _"I guess I'll just wing it…"_

I hit the buzzer on the door and I'm left waiting for only a second before Toko opens it a crack, glaring out the door at me. "W-What do you want…?"

I do my best to seem frantic. "T-Toko! B-Byakuya he's…."

Her eyes widen and she throws the door open. "What about him!? Is there something wrong?"

I nod. "T-The bath house, Toko… he needs help! I-I don't know what happened, but I walked in and saw him lying there-"

"Out of my way!" She screeches, blowing past me. I stare after her for a minute before quickly closing her door and running after her. I hear a strangled scream coming from the bath house and move faster, screeching to a halt as I get to the entryway.

Toko is sprawled out on the floor passed out, and Byakuya is standing over her with an irritated look on his face. "Was the screeching really necessary?"

I glance over to Toko. "With her, yes. I'm actually surprised this worked. What did you do-" I cut myself short when I look over and see him. "Byakuya, your hand…!"

His right hand is currently dripping blood on to the floor. He glances down to it with a nonchalant look on his face. "We needed blood. I have blood. It worked."

I rush over to him and grab one of the clean towels, putting pressure on the cut. "You idiot! We could have probably thought of something else, you didn't need to hurt yourself like that...!"

"Tell me, where else would we have gotten blood?" He asks, a little condescending.

I grimace. "W-We could have just drained some off some of the meat in the kitchen! This wasn't necessary at all!"

He sighs. "A little bloodshed isn't such a big deal, not to mention the fact that it's a small cut. You're overreacting."

I glare at him. "I think not! There's a puddle on the floor Byakuya!" I gesture to the small pool of blood on the floor. " _That_ does not come from a small cut!"

"I made certain to hit a vein." He says flatly. "There wouldn't have been enough blood otherwise."

Without thinking, I smack him on the arm. "I don't care how little you think it is, this isn't okay! Next time, at least talk things out with me a little more before you go and do something like this!"

He raises an eyebrow, scowling at me. "And why exactly should I do that? I'm more than capable of handling myself." I feel the anger boiling in my gut, and with just one more little push- "Tell me, why should I bother consulting you? It's not any of your business what I do with myself-"

I snap.

"Because I'm your _boyfriend_ god damn it!"

…

…

Well, that was loud.

Byakuya's expression shifts into one of surprise, before he smirks down at me. "Trying to announce it to the world? You're much bolder than I'd expected."

My face instantly erupts into a full blown blush. "S-Stop trying to change the subject!" I glance off to the side, a little sheepish. "I care about you, so that's why you should at least talk to me a little when you decide to do something as risky as this! I don't want to see your blood again!"

His eyes widen minutely before he huffs indignantly. "…Fine. If it'll keep you quiet, I will talk to you about these kinds of meaningless things from now on."

I grumble, barely registering the arms that snaked around my waist. "It's not meaningless at all…"

"To me it is." He tilts my head back and smirks down at me with a strange light in his eyes. "…Let me show you what _exactly_ you should think to be meaningful."

With that, he initiates our second kiss. He doesn't beat around the bush like had last time and immediately sticks his tongue in my mouth, smirking into the kiss when I start making noises. His hands roam from their original position, one going up to fist itself in my hair, and the other moving fully around my waist and pulling me closer to him.

Just as we're about to _really_ get into our, er… _activity_ , a voice makes us fly apart.

"Ohhhh, clap clap clap! I'm glad _this_ is what I wake up to this time!" I whip my head around to see that Toko had successfully switched from herself to Genocide Jack, red eyes gleaming with unmitigated delight. "Big Mac and my handsome White Knight in a full blown makeout session!? I'm in heaven~!"

Byakuya huffs as he straightens out his shirt, not at all embarrassed at being caught. "I see. So you really do remember."

"Of course, master!" She cheers, winking at him. "I always do! But that's not important at all~! I bet Mrs. Gloomy Gills would choke to death if she saw that just now… she just doesn't understand the finer things in life, I guess! Kyahahahaha!"

I flush to the tips of my ears. "You really don't have a problem with it…? I thought you wanted to hook up with Byakuya!"

"Oh Macaroon, you're so foolish." Jack says, waving me off. "Sure, I would have _loved_ to take my White Knight for myself, but this is almost as good!" She does a little twirl before stopping to look at me, dreamy look in her eyes. "Tell me, how far have you two gone? I need pictures when you two actually decide to do it!"

"Hold it." Byakuya says, strange look on his face. "What did you mean by "you always do"…?"

"Oh, that?" She says, smiling sweetly over at him. "You don't know how many times this has happened! I tell ya, it's enough to drive a girl ca-razy! Imagine my delight when I wake up to see you fine pieces of ass making out in front of me! It's usually all just the same...!"

My eyes widen as I try to process her words. "W-Wait… does that mean that this isn't the first time it's happened again!?"

"Not at all!" She says with a huff. "The first couple of times I tried to tell y'all, but you all just chalked that up to crazy psychopath talk, the nerve! I tell ya, I-"

"H-Hang on." I say, trying to catch up with her. "You can't be serious right now... once is already hard enough to believe! But multiple times!?"

She sighs, shaking her head with a smile on her face. "Oh Makenzie, lemme say it in a way you might understand. Every time we hit that red button to escape, we all started over again! It's like we were spamming the reset button on one of those video games you seem so fond of!"

My breath catches as I stare at the girl. _"S-So we've just been… reliving the same thing? Over and over? Is there really… really no way to escape?"_

Byakuya seems to be perplexed by this as well, scowling in irritation. "So you're saying that we can't get out...? And that we haven't ever actually escaped before?"

She shakes her head, braids swaying with the motion. "Nope nope! We never made it before! I'm pretty sure that uber-psycho Junko has a way for us to leave, but she just won't fork it over!"

I start slightly. "Wait… does Junko remember too!?"

"Nah." She says, twirling a pair of scissors in her hand. "She did the same thing every time just like the rest of ya. The one time I bothered to ask, she simply mumbled something about a "sweet, eternal despair." She's sorta gross!"

I grimace. "So she really _did_ have something to do with this…"

Byakuya crosses his arms, glaring at the serial killer. "Tell me, are you the only one who's ever remembered anything all these times?"

"Yup!" She says, striking a pose. "Senorita Doom n' Gloom didn't remember anything, though!"

I purse my lips. "So... it's safe to say that this "reset" is related to whatever she did to erase our memories? Since Toko was effected and you weren't…"

She nods eagerly. "Pretty much! Sharp as ever, Macaroni!" She suddenly looks confused as well. "But this time is all weird!"

Byakuya raises an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Each and every time this has happened, everything's gone the same!" She crosses her arms. "I wake up at the same point each time, and everything goes the exact same way! It's like reading a book over and over, you all were the exact same word for word! But this time…" She tosses a pair of scissors in the air and catches them, pointing them at us. "You two were getting hot n' heavy in front of me, not to mention the fact that you guys seem to get that this isn't your first rodeo! It's like someone came in and decided to completely re-write the book halfway through the story!"

Byakuya considers her words, tapping his foot in thought. "So you're saying that this time alone is different?"

"Uh yeah." She says dumbly. "I woulda remembered waking up to _that_."

I glance over to Byakuya. "Do you think whatever she's been using to do this… might be failing then?"

"It may very well be a possibility." He says, rubbing his temples slightly. "Since when did the impossible become so easy to accept…?"

I snort. "Maybe since we learned that we had two years of our lives ripped away like it was nothing? Or since we learned about the biggest, most awful event in human history that was all started by a teenage girl?"

He sighs and rubs his forehead. "...You're not helping."

I huff and turn to Jack. "Anyway… do you think you can keep quiet this time, too? We may need to talk to you again about certain things though, so… try to keep Toko from waking up if you can."

Byakuya rounds on me. "Are you insane? You want to leave a serial killer running around without the others even being aware of her yet!?"

Jack nods. "Gotta tell ya Totes Makotes, that seems really stupid to me too. You wouldn't want me killing anyone, right?" She suddenly laughs. "I may actually kill that little cutie this time before the big, bad biker can!"

"I'm pretty sure if you haven't done it at this point, then we're pretty much safe… not to mention the fact I've already basically stopped that from happening." She pouts, and I shake my head. "Plus, I was just coming up with an idea for you to make a-" I flinch at the next part. "-a grand entrance."

Her eyes light up. "Oh? Oh oh oh? You mean I get to be outed a different way this time!? Really? Fo'sho?"

"Only if you don't kill anyone!" I say, giving her a pointed look. She shuffles her feet a little before sighing.

"Okay, fine!" She rolls her eyes. "I won't make mincemeat out of any hotties here… not that I've had any desire to recently mind you!" She does another twirl before striking a pose, winking at us. "A gal's life gets boring when it's all routine! Maybe I should switch it up and just go completely-normal-not-stabby-psycho? Or should I try to go somewhat-violent-but-not-murderous-psycho? I'm afraid the first one may be a little passé!"

I rub my eyes. "Whichever one keeps you from killing someone!"

"Then I vote for option B! It would be awful if I let my lovely Geno-Scissors go unused for an extended period of time!" She squeals, rubbing one of said scissors on her face. "But yeah, I'll do my best to keep Miss Writer Pants under lock and key for now! No promises though, since I'm still technically the second personality!"

Byakuya sighs in irritation. "Alright then Makoto, since this was your idea, how do you propose we handle her "grand entrance?" It's going to be an issue getting everyone in the same place."

I screw my face in thought. "We should be able to gather everyone in the dining hall… except for Hiro maybe. But how do you want to do it, Jack?"

"Hmhmhm…" She taps one of her scissors on her chin. "Well...! My normal entrance is _pretty_ dramatic so maybe… I'll introduce myself! Ya know, like how you do when you transfer into a new class!"

"That's… not very grand." I say, scratching the back of my head.

"Tsk tsk Macklemore, you just don't get it! There's beauty in its simplicity!" She points her scissors at me. "I may not like the writing Ms. Stuffy Pants does, but I at least know how to appreciate irony! You don't expect a serial killer to come up to you and say "Hey! I'm a serial killer!" It'll be a riot!" She starts giggling to herself.

I'm about to refute what she said, but… their reactions might be kind of funny. "Alright, we'll do it like that then!"

Byakuya groans. "This is going to be more troublesome than it's worth."

* * *

" _He was right about the troublesome part!"_ I mentally whine as I stand in front of Hiro's door. Jack absolutely refuses to come out unless everyone's in the cafeteria, including "that hobo lookin' dude". I've been standing outside his door for a good fifteen minutes trying to pry him out of the room, but with no luck.

"Hiro, just come out! This is important!"

"No way!" He screeches from behind the door. "I'm not going out there! You all are going to kill me! You're in cahoots!"

I rub my forehead. "We're not in cahoots! We're your friends!" I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to see a very bored looking Celes behind me. "H-Hey Celes… weren't you waiting in the dining hall with everyone else?"

"I'm tired of waiting. Can we not just start without him?" I shake my head, and she smiles at me. "Well then, would you mind if I tried my hand at this?"

A little shocked at her offer to help, I move out of the way. She then hits the buzzer. "Hiro, open the door. We are waiting to discuss something of great importance, and they refuse to start without you present."

"Pass!" He yells, not opening the door.

"Oh? Maybe you did not hear me…" She then kicks the door as hard as she can, face shifting into something other than the plaster smile she usually wears… something a lot scarier. "I said, they _refuse_ to start without you… If you don't haul your _sorry ass_ out of that room, I'll have this door broken down and I'll drag you out by your disgusting dreadlocks, you two-bit fortune teller!"

I look on with a mixture of amusement and horror as the door flies open and he bows to her, begging for forgiveness. "I'm so sorry! I'm going! I'm going right now!" He then scurries down the hall to the dining area, leaving a smug Celes in his wake.

She turns to me with a sweet smile on her face. "Problem solved. Shall we proceed?" I nod shakily and walk down the hall with her, reminded of how she truly is.

Once in the dining hall, I quickly scan the room to see if everyone's present. Seeing that they are, I go to the kitchen to where Jack and Byakuya are waiting. "Alright guys, everyone's here. Are you ready Jack?"

She nods, grinning at me. "More than ready! I can't wait to meet my classmates all over again!"

Byakuya rubs his forehead. "Let's just get this over with…"

We walk out and stand at the head of the table where everyone's sitting. Jack is doing her best to look like Toko, mostly by keeping her tongue in her mouth and trying to scowl like she does. I clear my throat to catch their attention. "Ah, alright guys, quiet down please!" They all do after a moment, and I nod. "Okay thanks. So… you all may recall how Chihiro, Taka, and I all went around and shared our secrets with you."

"Uh yeah?" Leon snarks. "That was only a few hours ago, dude."

"Right…" I say, scratching the back of my head. "Well you see, Toko has a secret too… and here she is." I say, gesturing over to Jack.

"Hey, Toko? Why do you look so… strange?" Hina asks, looking over at the serial killer. I glance over to see the scowl falter, and suddenly her restraint snaps.

"Kyahahahaha! Sorry to burst your bubble, Guppy, but I'm not that little social invalid!" She grins like a mad woman and strikes a pose. "Presenting the one and only… Genocide Jack! Split personality of a Miss Toko Fukawa! I'd personally prefer to be called Jill, but the internet wants what it wants!"

The room suddenly goes quiet. So quiet that you can hear a pin drop. "W-Wait… what?" Hiro squeaks, breaking the silence.

"You heard me! The serial killer who's become an internet sensation, disappearing without a trace each time! No one would ever guess that it's Toko Fukawa's other half!" She pulls out some of her scissors and strikes a pose with them. "Of course, the little dweeb had no clue what I was doing at first! But when I got found out, she had no choice but to keep quiet! Prison life isn't for the faint of heart!"

"So Toko knew?" Hina asks, sadly. "And she didn't even bother to warn us-!"

"Of course not!" Jack says with a giggle. "You guys would probably have strung her up if she told you about me, the supernova known as Genocide Jack! Personally I would have liked to come out a lot sooner to meet you guys, but it's hard when she avoids her triggers like she does!"

"That is to say…" Hifumi starts fidgeting nervously. "We've been living with a natural born killer all this time!? W-We're all as good as dead!"

"Oh puh-leese!" Jack starts, twirling her scissors. "In this situation you're all worse than me! I've already promised to not chop up any of the pretty boys here under my White Knight's orders!"

"And why should we believe that!?" Taka yells, pointing towards her. "You've already taken lives before, your word means nothing!"

"Hey, I've turned a new leaf!" She yells indignantly. "Sure, I'm still gonna cut people up, but not you guys! And even if I do... it's not gonna be enough to kill ya! How am I supposed to peek in on Master and Big Mac if I'm dead!?"

I bury my face in my palms, and Byakuya sighs. "You're disgusting. There's no way that's going to happen."

"Doesn't mean I can't try!" Jack says with a cheer.

"Suspecting her isn't going to do anything for us." Mukuro says, trying to fight back a smirk. "While her motives aren't pure, I think we can safely assume that she isn't going to try anything."

Jacks expression shifts slightly when she sees her. "Right… what pigtails said…"

I bite my lip. _"Crap! We forgot to tell her about Mukuro…!"_

Byakuya takes this opportunity to step in. "We all have the potential to become killers in this situation, so we should not assume her to be the culprit if it happens again… Otherwise it could cost us our lives."

With various grumbles of assent coming from the table, I relax a little. At least that's one less thing to worry about…

"Was this all this little meeting was about?" Celes questions, sipping at a cup of tea.

"Well yeah." I say, shooting her a weird look. "Did you not think that knowing about a serial killer who's living with us was important in any way?"

She sighs, playing with one of her drills. "It's not that I didn't appreciate the information, but I feel like word of mouth would of sufficed."

"Really." Byakuya snorts, glaring at her. "You would have just accepted the fact that Toko has a split personality who just so happens to be a notorious serial killer without witnessing it for yourself? I'm a little doubtful."

"Well, it _is_ quite the secret..." She says, smiling over at him. "It would have been easy to believe in that context, don't you think? And even if I didn't believe her, Monokuma would have just affirmed it tomorrow. There was no need to gather us all like this."

Suddenly one of Jack's scissors buries itself in the table beside Celes' hand, causing the girl to turn a scathing look towards the psycho. Jack simply grins at her.

"Wow, you're quite the rude little wench!" She giggles, flashing more scissors. "Macaroon was just trying to help you morons out! I may just have to break my usual habit of only cutting up handsome men for you, hun!"

"How flattering." Celes says flatly, yanking the scissors from the table. "I must say… these things are awfully gaudy." With a couple of "ooohs" coming from the table, she smirks. "They suit you."

Flinching at the menacing aura suddenly coming from next to me, I decide to stop this before it can get any worse. "Okay, that's enough! Meeting adjourned!" I grab Jack's wrist and quickly drag her out of the dining hall and back over to the bath house.

She snatches her wrist away once we're in there. "Ohhh-! That kind of person really grinds my gears, Mak-Attack! Why'd you drag me away!? Stupid cake-faced emo broad…! She wasn't even pretty, I would be doing the world a service ending her existence!"

"While I'm not inclined to disagree, there are limits."

She whips her head around. "Oh, Master! So kind of you to join us!" Her grin slides off her face when she sees the girl standing behind him. "…What's she doing here?"

I glance behind him to see Mukuro standing there with an impassive look on her face. Byakuya clears his throat. "I noticed your reaction to her, so I brought her here to assure you that this is _not_ Junko Enoshima."

She snorts. "Tell me something I _don't_ know! It's obvious that this is that soldier gal that was in our class… I was jus' confused as to why the hell she's still alive!"

I start slightly. "You can tell?"

"Well duh!" She says, rolling her eyes. "They smell completely different!"

"More to the point…" Mukuro says, looking at the girl. "It would seem that you know more that you're letting on. Care to explain?"

"No, not really." Byakuya shoots her a pointed look. "…Oh, fine!"

She then proceeds to explain what exactly she knows, and how this has happened multiple times. Mukuro's expression goes from shocked to perplexed as she explains, and as we chime in with our theories about it.

"You think it's related to whatever sis used to wipe your memories?" She muses, twisting her face in thought.

"Yeah… only because Jack remembers when apparently we all haven't before. It's only a guess, of course... but we think it may be failing. Apparently, no one aside from her has ever remembered anything before." I rub the back of my neck. "Things got a lot more complicated than I had expected…"

She grimaces. "I… think I'm going to have to do some digging…" She looks at her hand. "If what she's told us is true, then it looks like getting that red switch from her isn't our solution. I'm going to have to look for whatever can be used to actually open the door."

Byakuya sighs and pushes up his glasses. "I don't want you risking getting caught, but if you can manage it… we can avoid any more needless death." He shoots her an unreadable look. "If you can though… try to see what's been causing this… reset, will you? I want to know if it's truly failing, or if there's something else going on."

"Right." She says, nodding toward him. "I'll do it during my watch since sis can't be up all the time. That'll be my best bet to do some digging… and maybe talk to the others and see what they know."

"Are you certain that she doesn't suspect you at all yet…? How did she react to you asking to change your secret?" I question with a frown.

Byakuya raises an eyebrow, and she immediately looks off to the side. "W-Well… she simply told me not to worry about it, and said that she's got plenty of dirty laundry to air."

I bite my cheek. "And she didn't question why…?" She shakes her head. "I don't like this Mukuro, something's not right… I don't think she'd readily agree to something like that!"

"I told her it was because it was way too lewd." She says flatly. "Part of the lines that she made me rehearse was some jargon about saving myself for a good man, and turning down all the sleaze bags that came her way… if she wanted me to act like I respected myself, then how could I possibly whore myself out to a manager? She agreed immediately. It's completely fine."

I bite my lip, unconvinced. "If you say so Mukuro…"

She shoots me a small smile. "I appreciate your concern Makoto… and it makes me happy that you care. But I promise that it'll be fine." She turns to the door. "I don't want to stay here longer than necessary, so I'll see you all later."

After her exit, I glance to Byakuya. "You… don't buy it either, right?"

He shakes his head. "I'm a little unsure what it was about, but… I do agree that it's a little suspicious that Junko agreed to something so readily. I wouldn't worry about it too much however; they _are_ still sisters. What's the worst that she can do?"

"She _killed_ her last time Byakuya!" I screech, a little frantic.

"But she isn't doing it this time. If she wanted her dead, she would be." He says, leveling a glare on me. "Just calm down and trust Mukuro's faith in her sister... as strange as it may be."

Jack slings her arm around my shoulder. "Seriously Macarena! You gotta loosen up, otherwise you'll start greying early and Master will lose interest! You don't want that, right?"

I roll my eyes at the serial killer. "Excuse me for trying to keep someone from dying." I start trying to walk away, but she and Byakuya simply follow. "Plus, I don't think I'm going grey just yet! Even then-"

He snorts, cutting me off. "I wouldn't lose interest because of a few grey hairs. They have dye for a reason."

"Byakuya!"

* * *

The rest of the night is spent hanging around with Jack and Byakuya, as hard as it is to believe. It's not so bad, aside from the fact that she repeatedly attempted to get us to make out in front of her. After a couple of hours, Monokuma's nighttime announcement rings through the halls, and we're forced to part ways.

Or at least we should have... but Byakuya drags me over to his room once we drop off Jack in hers. "W-Wait, what are you doing?" I question as he unlocks the door.

"I told you earlier that I had a few things to address with you. This is one of them." He says flatly, pulling me inside and locking the door behind him. "You're sleeping in here tonight."

My eyes go wide as saucers and my face erupts into a blush. "W-Wait, why-"

"It's not like I'm going to have sex with you Makoto." He says, taking off his glasses. "We're just going to be sleeping… I have more respect for you than making you do something like that right when we start officially dating."

I fidget slightly, but take off my shoes anyway. My heart is hammering so hard in my chest that I'm certain I can see it thumping through my shirt. "I-If you don't mind me asking… what brought this on?"

He sighs as he takes his tie off, mumbling his answer so quietly that I have to strain to hear him.

"…It makes this seem more real to me."

As I process his words, I can't help the small smile that works its way to my face. _"I wouldn't have imagined… that it would be because of something like that."_ With all hesitation leaving in an instant, I pull off my hoodie and drape it over the chair. I walk over to the bed and pull the covers down before sitting myself on one side.

Byakuya comes over and sits on the bed, glancing over to me. "Did you… want to run back to your room for some sleep clothes?"

I shake my head. "No. I'll be fine." I smile at him and grab his hand. Hesitating a little bit, he scoots down on the bed and pulls me to him, still holding my hand. He drapes his free arm on my waist and places a quick kiss on my forehead. I flush at the uncharacteristically sweet gesture, but I can't help but feel a little irritated.

"You missed…" I mumble, pecking him on the lips. He looks at me in surprise for a moment, but then offers a rare smile before pressing his face into my hair and pulls me closer to him.

After a moment I look up to question why he hasn't pulled up the covers, when I notice that he's fallen asleep. _"He must have been exhausted…"_ Laughing quietly, I manage to grab the covers while he's holding me and maneuver them up so that we're at least partially covered. After a moment, I hear him mumble something in his sleep and a smile works my way on to my lips as I drift off.

It's really not so bad… this liking him thing.

* * *

As usual, the morning announcement chimes at 7 a.m. sharp, startling me awake. Monokuma asks us all to go to the gym for the big reveal, and I quickly dash back to my room to change clothes before heading over with Byakuya. Once we're all there, Monokuma has us all sit in chairs he's arranged in a circle, sort of like an AA meeting you'd see on TV. Positioned on one end of the circle is a podium which he climbs up on. He shakes his head at us.

"Really? Not one single person is dead? At all?" He then puts a paw to his cheek. "I wouldn't blame someone if they offed someone right now, mind you... these are all _pretty_ brutal…"

"Shut the hell up and get on with it, you monochrome turd." Mondo spits, flipping him off.

Monokuma looks positively scandalized. "Really? You of all people want me to say it that badly? I'm shocked! Shocked to the core!"

I lean over to Chihiro, who's sitting to my right. "Is he really okay with this…?" I question.

He nods. "After you left with… Jill? Yeah Jill. After you left with her the rest of them sorta… filled each other in on their secrets. Except for Hifumi and Celes, who left right after Byakuya and M-Junko did. E-Even Hiro told us that he was being hunted by the Mafia…"

I bite my cheek to suppress a smile at my correct guess. "Even Mondo…?" He nods, small smile on his face.

"It was hard for him, but… he did it."

"Hey!" Monokuma yells, making us turn to him. "If I'm gonna spill nasty secrets, you should at least have the decency to listen! The nerve of you kids these days!"

I huff. "We wouldn't have been talking if you just got to the point already…"

He growls, but otherwise doesn't respond to my snide remark. "Fine, whatever… I'll just go down the list then! Since you were _so_ kind just then, I'll start with you Makoto!" He clears his throat. "Makoto Naegi… totally has the hots for that stud muffin Byakuya!"

I stare at him with a blank look on my face, as is everyone else. He huffs. "Really? No response at all? Well, it was sorta obvious anyway right? No secret there..."

But as he goes down his list of secrets, none of us show the slightest reaction. Taka's, Hina's, Hiro's… all met with the same blank stare.

"Alright alright then!" He starts, irritated edge in his voice. "How about this: Leon Kuwata got a blowie from a crossdresser!"

Nothing.

"Sakura Ogami isn't a virgin!"

Nada.

"B-Byakuya wasn't born rich…?"

Was that even a secret…?

"Hifumi dated someone… who wasn't 2-D!"

Surprising, but we all manage to keep our faces straight. He yells out in irritation.

"Celestia Ludenberg's real name is Taeko Yasuhiro!"

No reaction except for a loud "I knew it!" from Taka.

"Jesus, you're all so boring! But I know this next one will get a reaction out of you… Mondo Owada… killed his own brother. Can you believe it?! His own flesh and blood!"

Once again, nothing.

"Apparently you can…" He grinds out with a sigh. "Well then. how about this! See that girl who looks like Toko? It's not! She's actually a serial killer!"

"Already established, you Winnie the Pooh knock off!" Jack squeals, twirling a pair of scissors.

"Ugh! Okay, this is something that I _know_ you'll have to react to… Chihiro Fujisaki… sweet, sweet Chihiro… is actually a boy! Really, someone flip his skirt! He's packing!"

But no one moves. No one does anything. And he sighs.

"You know… I saw you all confess to each other, so this really shouldn't be that much of a downer… but I'm hitting rock bottom here, guys. I'm basically in the center of the earth with how low I am right now."

"Well it's your own fault for making this our motive!" Hina yells, glaring at the bear. "You seriously expected us to just sit by and let you expose us?"

He shuffles his feet. "I was expecting someone to kill someone else… and then just expose the blackened if they got caught. Or… if none of you nutted up and killed someone, to revel in the shock and awe that followed my reveal of your secrets."

"Well it obviously did not work." Sakura says with a nod. "We valued our lives over some petty secret. The choice was clear."

"Oh, it didn't?" He asks, tilting his head. "But… there's still one secret left. She didn't share hers either…" He says, gesturing to Mukuro.

Mondo scoffs. "Junko? Really, what shocking secret is she going to have?"

"I'm not talking about Junko Enoshima." Monokuma says flatly. "I'm talking about that girl sitting right there."

…

Oh shit.

I tense, whipping my head around to the girl in question. She's gone completely pale. _"Damn it Mukuro…! You said you had it taken care of!"_

Leon is the next one to speak up, looking decidedly confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh? Didn't you know? Upupupupu…" He trails off, making a lump form in my throat.

" _No, don't say it!"_ I internally plead. _"Anything but-"_

" **That's not Junko Enoshima!"**


	14. Settle it in Smash!

Makoto's P.o.V:

The gym is left in a suffocating silence after Monokuma's revelation, some from shock, and others from horror. Even Jack, the infallible _Jack_ , has fallen completely silent from Mukuro's sudden outing.

"What… What are you _saying_?!" Taka shouts. "That _is_ Junko! Our friend! T-There's no way…!"

"Oh, but there is!" Monokuma cheers. "This dastardly diva has been impersonating her! Quite poorly as well, if I do say so myself! I mean _really_ , rabbit hairclips are so passé! I hear bears are much more in right now! Upupupupupu!"

"Hold on!" I yell. "T-There's no reason for us to believe you! You're just saying this to get us riled up!"

He gasps in mock surprise. "Why Makoto, you of all people are doubting me…? But you're the one sweet little Mukuro defied me for!"

"W-What!?" I shriek, all stunned gazes shifting to me.

"Ah, it was such a touching moment!" He says, putting a paw to his forehead. "I had instructed her to off ya, cause, you know, you totally prevented this motive from working! I know for a fact that if your do-gooder self hadn't gotten involved like you had, someone would have murdered someone else! But _nooooo_ , you just had to have yourself a little pity party and invite everyone to spill their baggage!" He sighs. "So I told her to kill ya. But here you are, still walking and talking like a person! It's absolutely _infuriating_ to be defied like that, you know?"

My head snaps towards Mukuro, who refuses to meet my gaze. "Mukuro, you…"

"So I gave her the axe!" He says with a cheer. "She's always been disappointing, but this just took the cake! I can't even-"

"Sis… I'm sorry." Mukuro says flatly, cutting the bear off. "I know I'm a disappointment. I'll always be one in your eyes…" She turns her gaze to Monokuma, terribly sad smile on her face. "But Junko… I promise you… I promise you I'll deliver you the best despair I can. I'm going to make sure you fall into such a huge pit that you'll never be able to see the light at the top again. I _will_ stop this plan. I won't let anyone else die."

Monokuma stares at her for a bit. "Upu… Upupupu…"

Suddenly Monokuma's voice isn't played anymore, instead ringing Junko's sickening voice through his mouth. "Gyahahahaha~! Oh, I hadn't expected that! Not one bit! You, my not even despairingly disappointing sister, revealing me like that!? How wonderful!"

Monokuma leaps away from her onto the stage. His body remains static after that, mouth not even moving as Junko speaks.

"But… if you think that's going to stop my plan…"

I notice a change in the floor around Mukuro's feet.

"Then you're even more disappointing than I had originally thought!"

Without warning, the Spears of Gungnir shoot out of the floor. I start to scream for her to move out of the way, but she's already several steps ahead of me, having leapt out of the way before they even got out of the ground. The look in her eyes as she lands is something I haven't seen before… a look that tells me that she's ready for the fight of her life.

"…How boring." Junko says. "You can't even die properly, just like how you were supposed to die that time, too. But it's okay! I still love you, even though you're like a bad zit that keeps growing back." I hear her sigh. "I won't let you say anything more, though. What's the point of this if they don't find out things on their own? You basically spoiled the biggest plot twist in this entire thing!"

"Hold on!" Leon screams. "What the fuck is going on!? I'm not following any of this shit!"

"Shut the fuck up, you punk wannabe!" Junko screeches, personality having shifted. "I'm Junko, she's not, and I'm the fucking mastermind! It ain't hard if you actually think with your actual head instead of your dick!" He stares at the bear in stunned silence.

She giggles, shifting again. "Of course, there's still lotsa things you all don't know yet! There's even things sweet little Mukuro doesn't know! Ah, but she's not allowed to tell you anything else that she _does_ know! If she does, I'll have her head popped like a juicy grape with one of those lovely spears over there!" Another spear whizzes past Mukuro's head, who doesn't even flinch.

"My life holds no value, Junko." Mukuro says, staring at the bear blankly. "Even if I die, there are people here who will still foil your plan… I won't hold a single regret! You'll still feel despair either way…!" She launches towards the bear in a blur and leaps onto the stage, kicking the robot high into the air. It explodes into a ball of fire and fluff, Mukuro glaring at the remains as they float down. "Nothing matters as long as you fail!"

She leaps off the stage when gunshots ring out, giving time for another Monokuma unit to appear in the old one's place.

"Hm…" Junko falls silent, static ringing clear for a moment before she speaks up again. "Oh, I see! I understand now, completely! You're being disgustingly noble right now… sacrificing your disappointing self for the greater good… But, hey, that's alright too!" Without warning, another spear appears from the far wall above the stage…

"There are other people here besides you that I can skewer!"

And it's aimed right for Taka.

Mukuro seems to have noticed as well, the others still gaping at the bear. She immediately launches herself toward the boy just as the spear is fired out of the wall. With speed only the Ultimate Soldier could muster in such a short amount of time, she manages to shove Taka out of the way, spear burying itself deep into her right shoulder.

" **Augh…!** " She lets out a yelp of pain as it does, falling to her knees. I immediately rush over to her, others gaping in shock.

Taka stares at her impaled shoulder from his place on the floor. "W-What? You…"

"You see now?" Junko says flatly. "Failing to stay silent is going to cost someone else their life. I wholly suggest you abide by my wishes, otherwise I will not miss next time. You may be able to handle dying…" She lets out a sickening laugh, shifting once more. "But sis, do you really think you can let your precious friends die because of you!?"

Mukuro glares hard at the bear, a glare I'm certain is directed at Junko. "I… will not say anything else." She stands with a stony expression on her face, holding the spear steady with her left hand. "You have my word as a soldier… so if you kill anyone… I _will_ come for you Junko. Sister or not, no matter how much I love you… I can't let you hurt anyone else here!"

She cackles over the speaker. "I'm sure!" Suddenly Monokuma's voice rings through once more, body moving freely once again. "Sweet little Mukumuku, who can't kill anyone! I'm pawsitively shaking in my nonexistent boots!" He turns away from us. "Alright, I'm out. This much exposition in such a short amount of time isn't good for my colon." He disappears in a cloud of smoke, and my attention immediately snaps back to my injured friend.

"God, Mukuro!" I say, taking a look at the wound. "W-We need to get that treated! Can you walk alright?"

She nods shakily, adrenaline finally wearing off. "I… think so."

I wave Chihiro over, handing him a clean hankie out of my pocket. "Chihiro, grab that end of the spear! I don't want this moving any more than necessary!" He nods and complies, grabbing a firm hold on it.

"I-I got it! Let's get moving!" He shoots Mukuro a worried glance, and with good reason. Though she's doing her best to appear strong, her entire body is shaking visibly and has gone extremely pale. I nod and sling her left arm over my shoulder.

But just as we make it over to the door, Celes steps in front of us, blocking our exit.

"And just where, pray tell, do you think you're going?" She says, crossing her arms at us. "I do believe we need to have a few words with her before anything else."

"Are you kidding me right now? She has a _spear_ in her _shoulder_!" I say, gesturing to the offending item. "Don't you think that can wait!?"

"I don't think you understand fully Makoto. She was working with the very person who imprisoned us here! Are you saying you want to aid an enemy?" She says, mock-surprised look on her face.

"If you were paying attention at all to what just happened, this whole thing happened because she _didn't_ kill me!" I screech, slightly frantic. "Not to mention the fact that she just saved Taka's life! Doesn't that at least warrant medical treatment!?"

"…I don't think you _understand_ Makoto." She starts, dark edge entering her normally overly sweet voice. " _She_ was working with the person who locked us in here. _She_ is the reason we're _stuck_ in this shithole of a school!" Her normal mask cracks, dangerous scowl prominent on her face. "She doesn't deserve shit!"

"M-Master Celes…" Hifumi ventures, but she cuts him off.

"Cut the crap lardo! This insufferable little twat not only lied to all of us, but she's related to the mastermind!" She yells, all composure gone. "Do you sincerely think we should let her live?! We're _trapped_ here! Everything, everything I've worked for until now… it's all been put on hold because of some psycho and her dog of a sister decided to play Saw with us!"

"B-But Celes!" Hina squeaks. "I thought you of all people were fine with this…?"

"A lie of course!" She says, normal manner of speech returning slightly. "I cannot be trapped here for the rest of my life! It simply isn't conceivable to me that I'd have to give up everything I've worked toward in my life for _this_ …" She stomps toward the injured girl, taking a hold of her chin and leveling a bone-chilling glare on her. "Tell me, did you enjoy watching us suffer? Watching us live in squalor… I bet you enjoyed every last moment of it, along with the _real_ Junko…"

Mukuro doesn't say anything at first, taking a minute to find her words. "…No. I didn't. I care about you all…"

Celes clicks her tongue and squeezes Mukuro's face tighter, digging in her nails slightly. "I'd like to beg to differ. Otherwise you wouldn't have done it at all…"

Chihiro, who had been silent this entire time, finally snaps. "D-Don't you think she had her reasons too!? You're acting like you understand why she went along with Junko's plan, but you don't understand anything! You're making assumptions that have no basis!" I see tears welling up in his eyes as he continues, entire body shaking in anger. "Just because they're sisters doesn't mean that she did this because she likes it! You can yell at her all you want later, so can you save your unmitigated bad attitude for when she _isn't_ bleeding out!?"

…

Well damn.

Celes stares at the small boy in shock, mouth opening and closing in a futile effort to form words. Without warning, Mondo breaks the silence by busting out into a laughing fit.

"Alright, way to go Chi!" He breathes between laughs, making the small boy flush.

Celes flushes in anger, completely furious to have been silenced by him. "You…!" She cuts herself off as a pair of Jack's scissors hits the door right by her head.

"Ya know, I don't mind people bleeding out, but I really don't think this is the time Twilight wannabe!" She cackles. "Unless you want that pretty little dress a' yours sliced to shreds, I suggest you get out of Big Mac and Chimichanga's way!"

Celes growls, ripping the scissors from their place and pocketing them. "You have quite a bit of nerve…"

"I believe you are the one with the most nerve." Sakura says, moving towards the girl. "Please move out of the way Celestia. We do not have any time to waste on this right now…"

Celes huffs in indignation and turns on her heel, shoving the door open. She stalks out without a word, and Chihiro and I quickly move to get through, Sakura following close behind.

"Where is it that you are even planning on taking her?" Sakura questions.

"Well…" I start, trying to come up with something convincing. "You know how things opened up after the last motive?" She nods. "I was thinking that maybe the infirmary opened up."

She grimaces. "Do you think that Mono- Junko, would even open something since no one was murdered? And even then, what makes you think that it would have opened up? It may still be closed off completely."

I shake my head. "I don't know, but… It's worth looking. If it's not, we'll carry her to the dining hall at the very least… there should be bandages and things in the warehouse."

She nods after a brief moment of contemplation. "Very well. I'll get the doors for you then."

* * *

Taka's P.o.V:

I'm left staring at the door in utter shock from my place on the floor. _"That girl… Mukuro… why? She… lied to us. She's not Junko. But… she still saved me. Why?"_

I barely register the approaching footsteps until brother stops in front of me, crouching down to my level. "Ey bro, are you alright?" He asks, concerned. "You've barely moved! Everyone else has pretty much already left!"

"Brother…" I manage, turning my gaze to him. "She saved me."

"Yeah, she did." He glances off to the side, irritated look on his face. "Whoever she is…"

"Why did she do that?" I question. "Why would she save me? I…" I trail off, tears pooling in my eyes. "I don't understand. She was the enemy! She lied to all of us! So… why would she do that-!?"

"Look, bro…" He starts, scratching the back of his head slightly. "I'm not gonna lie to ya, I'm having some serious trouble understanding what's been going on. All I can say is… her name might not be Junko, but it looks to me that she actually does care about us, or at the very least you n' Makoto. I don' think that she'd take a spear for someone she didn't care about at all, ya know? I sure as shit wouldn't."

"As absolutely irritating as it is to admit, he's correct." A suddenly present Byakuya says, glaring down at me. "What's even more irritating than that is that _you_ of all people are sitting here like a dumbstruck fool. It's not like she's a stranger… though she may have been acting, I'm certain there are still aspects of herself that she kept in her persona..." He sighs and turns away, heading towards the door. "I recommend you stop acting like you're the one who got a spear to the shoulder and go see what you can do to help."

I stare at his retreating back. _"She's… still the same person? She lied to us all about her identity… but… what if they're right? What if it really was just her name that she had lied about…?"_

Mondo glares after him. "Man, that fucker knows how to grind my gears…"

I shake my head. "That may be so, but… he's correct! Regardless of what's happened, the fact of the matter is that she protected me!" I shove myself off of the floor. "So I must go and see what I can do to help her! And I'll be certain to talk with her properly after she's spear-free!" Without waiting for brother's reply, I dash out of the gym.

" _I must know for myself!"_

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

We arrive at the infirmary door, and I breathe out a sigh of relief when I see that it's not taped off anymore. "Thank god…"

Sakura quickly pulls open the door and walks in, Mukuro, Chihiro, and I following suit. I quickly ferry Mukuro over to one of the beds and sit her down, taking hold of the spear for a moment so Chihiro can get around to the other side of the bed.

"Alright…" I breathe out, scanning the room. "Where do we start…?"

"I think we should gather up disinfectant and gauze… and perhaps some medical tools as well." Sakura sighs, turning to the shelf. "I feel like it will be best if we have as many things as close by as possible."

"Right…" I say, glancing around the room. I start slightly when I see the cooler sitting in the corner and rush over to Mukuro, whose dozing slightly.

"Hey, Mukuro, what's your blood type?" She snaps her head up at the sound of my voice.

"I'm… AB+." She manages.

Chihiro breathes out a sigh of relief. "The universal receiver… thank god. You can grab any bag from in there Makoto, but get her AB+ if they have it!"

I nod. "Alright!" I dash over to the fridge and scan the bags, looking for the appropriate type. "Keep her talking, Chihiro! I've seen enough medical dramas to know that you're supposed to keep people conscious with wounds like this until they've got a blood transfusion! …Aha!" I pull out a bag of AB+ blood and hook it to one of the stands, staring at the end of it. "…Does anyone know how to put an IV into someone's arm…?"

"Allow me." Sakura says, carrying the stand over to the bed. "I've done this a few times in the past… I can only hope I remember how to do it properly…" She quickly attaches the needle to the tubing and takes a gentle hold of Mukuro's arm, tapping the inner part of it until a vein becomes visible. "Use a disinfectant wipe right here please." I quickly wipe the area she pointed out and she inserts the needle, doing something to the bag afterward to get the blood flowing through the tube.

"Wow, that was impressive Sakura!" I say, admiring her handiwork. "I wouldn't have been able to do that!"

She shakes her head. "It was nothing… what do you think we should do next?"

"Well…" I bite my cheek as I stare at the wound. "Before anything else, I think we should cut her shirt off of her. I don't want any clothing to get caught in there when we pull the spear out…"

"A wise choice." She says, bringing a tray of tools over. "Do you think that bandage scissors will do…?"

I shrug. "Well… I think so. If not we'll have to use a scalpel." I grab the scissors and start at the bottom of her shirt, sighing slightly in relief when I cut the fabric with relative ease. I make quick work of the front and move to the other side of the bed to start cutting the back and the area around the hole… but stop when the door flies open and scares the crap out of me.

"I have come to assist-!" Taka stops himself short when he sees Mukuro in her state of undress, and he openly gapes at her, face crimson. "W-Why is she…!?"

"We're cutting her shirt off so it doesn't get caught when we pull the spear out…" I explain. I don't think he hears it though, as he's very actively trying not to look in her direction. "What are you doing?"

"It's inappropriate for me to see her in such a state!" He yells. "It's also very inappropriate for you and Chihiro as well!"

"Er… Taka?" Chihiro manages. "S-She's got a spear in her shoulder… and we were the only ones who jumped to help her. W-What else do you expect us to do?"

No one in the room misses the grimace that covers his face. "I-I'm aware! I just… I suppose it's a little…!" He groans and crosses his arms. "Sakura can handle most of the work! She's here!"

"Brows… chill." Mukuro manages to shoot him a weak smile as he whips his head over to her. "I don't mind it. It's not like I'm completely naked anyway… I'm still going to be in my bra. Besides, I don't think either of them would be doing it if they didn't have to…"

His gaze stays on her chest for just an instant before he looks at her with a sad expression on his face. "You…"

Before Taka can respond though, Mondo walks in and slaps a hand over his mouth. "I thought you said you were gonna save the talk for after they fixed her up!" He sighs, glancing over to us. I don't miss the slight wince that comes out when he sees the wound. "You guys need our help? Or d'ya got this covered?"

"Well… we may need help when we actually pull it out." I say, biting my lip slightly. "Do you guys think you could go to the warehouse and pick up some towels and maybe a fresh shirt for her first? Something loose preferably."

"You got it, boss." Mondo mock salutes and drags Taka off through the doors.

Taka peeks back in after a moment. "Do not let any of the other guys see her like this! Protect her modesty as best you can!" He's yanked from the doorway by Mondo, door closing with an audible thunk.

Sakura turns to me with a raised eyebrow. "I must say, that was unexpected."

I sigh, continuing to cut the shirt off. "It's Taka. I don't even get surprised anymore."

"You have to be grateful for that during times like these though…" Mukuro chuckles slightly as she says this, but I can't help but frown.

" _It's not just about the spear though, right?"_ I internally ask, silently cutting away at the fabric around the wound. _"You were basically betrayed by your younger sister… I can't imagine Komaru doing something like that to me! How on earth are you possibly coping with this? Not to mention…"_ I glance to the door. _"You're probably afraid of what he's going to say. Maybe him acting like him is comforting? But…"_

I'm broken out of my thoughts by a tap on my shoulder. "Makoto…?" I glance over to see a concerned Chihiro looking toward me. "I-I think we better hurry up. Even with the transfusion, I don't like how pale she is…"

I make the final cut and pull the shirt bits off of her, grimacing as I see the back of the wound. "Agreed. The longer we leave it like this…" I trail off, not wanting to think about it too much.

"We won't let it come to that." Sakura states, grabbing a bottle of disinfectant. "I'm going to disinfect the wounds now… it's going to sting a bit."

Mukuro shakes her head. "Not as much as taking a spear to the shoulder. I'll be fine." Sakura nods before setting to work, dabbing around holes and the surrounding areas gently with the solution.

"S-Speaking of problems…" Chihiro starts, glancing around the room. "I… don't think we should leave her alone in here."

"What do you mean?" Sakura queries, gently wiping around her wound.

"W-Well…" He glances around slightly. "What if something happens to her when no one's around? L-Like if she goes into shock, or…" He trails off. "I-I really just don't think we should leave her alone in this state!"

"Chihiro… I understand your concern." Mukuro says weakly. "But I can still take care of myself, even with this-"

"He's right!"

I glance over to see a suddenly present Taka and Mondo, both carrying armfuls of towels and shirts. "Did you guys run or something? That was really fast!"

"Of course! More to the point though…" Taka places his bundle on a free bed, crossing his arms at the girl. "It is much too risky for you to be left to fend for yourself with that sort of injury!" She opens her mouth to protest, but he cuts her off. "Though you seem to be athletic, not even Sakura could be at her best with a hole in the shoulder! From this point forth you must be accompanied at all times, I won't even allow you to sleep alone!"

She offers a weak smirk. "Oh? Are you offering? I've got to tell you Taka, that's pretty forward to offer something like that to a girl whose name you just learned…"

He flushes to the tips of his ears. "Th-That's…"

Chihiro clears his throat. "W-While I'm glad you're okay enough to tease Taka, I really still think we should pull this out before anything else."

Taka nods, grateful for having the conversation derailed. "Of course! How are we going to go about this?"

"Well…" I scan her shoulder, biting my cheek in thought. "I guess the best way to do it would be to pull it out from the front… since that's the way it came in and all."

"Whelp, I don't have any better ideas." Mondo says, throwing off his jacket. "I'm guessing Sakura n' me are gonna pull it out?"

"Yes." She affirms. "We'd probably be able to do it the fastest. Taka, please take a firm hold of her shoulders from the back…"

I duck under the spear to make room for him and walk over to the pile of fresh towels. "Chihiro, come grab one of these… once they have it pulled out, we're gonna need to put pressure on it." He nods and walks over to grab one, quickly returning to his spot behind her.

I huff. "Alright… are you ready Mukuro?" She nods slightly, Taka taking a firm hold of her shoulders. "Alright. On my count…" Mondo and Sakura each grab hold of the spear, waiting for my signal. "One… two… three-!"

On the three, they both pull as hard as they can and yank the spear free of her shoulder with a sickening pop. Mukuro winces as it flies out, taking deep breaths to cope with the renewed pain. I quickly duck under Mondo and press the towel to her shoulder, Chihiro doing the same on the other side.

"Gh... That was…" Mukuro says after a moment. "A lot more painful than I had thought it would be..."

"My apologies." Sakura says, shooting her a sympathetic frown. "There wasn't an easy way to do that… I had figured it would be better if we had done it as quick as possible."

"It probably would have been worse if you had taken it slow." Mukuro says with a breathless chuckle.

Mondo tosses the spear aside and grabs several rolls of gauze from the pile Sakura had prepared. He motions for Chihiro and I to move after the blood flow slows to a stop, quickly bandaging her shoulder and torso with practiced ease.

Mukuro runs a hand over the bandages. "This is… a very nice job." She muses, still shaky from the removal.

He shrugs. "You gotta know how to wrap someone up when you're a gang leader like me. Lotsa my guys won't bother to get actual help after a fight, so I had to learn how to do it right pretty damn quick."

"I-Its really cool that you know how to do that!" Chihiro says, smiling up at the taller boy. "Not to mention you learned how to do it for your friends…"

Mondo flushes slightly, turning away with a scowl. "It's nothin' really…"

I fight the urge to laugh at how bashful he's being and walk over to grab one of the shirts they had picked from the warehouse. I pick out a red and black plaid flannel button-up that looks like it's a few sizes too big for her and walk back over.

"Do you think you can put this on, or should I help you out?" I ask, frowning at her in worry.

"I-I'll do it." Chihiro says, not giving Mukuro a chance to decline. "I haven't done much to help so far." I nod and hand him it, Mukuro letting out a small sigh as Chihiro gently dresses her.

"I could have done it myself." She grouses, holding her hair out of the way.

"N-Not comfortably." Chihiro says with a gentle smile. "I don't mind helping you out, so it's okay."

"That's not what I…" Mukuro trails off and relents with a sigh. She glances to her hair. "Say… do you think that you could do me a favor? Since you want to help so badly and all…"

Chihiro nods. "Sure! What is it that you need?"

"Could you check the warehouse for hair dye and scissors?" She asks, thumbing the golden locks. "I'd rather go back to how I used to have it before this all started…"

Mondo raises an eyebrow. "So you aren't naturally a body double for your psycho sister?"

She raises an eyebrow back. "N-No…? Just because we're twins doesn't mean we look exactly the same… What did you think the magazine excuse was for?"

"I thought that twins were supposed t' be identical…" He says with a scowl.

"Actually brother, twins don't necessarily need to look exactly alike!" Taka states, starting to clean up the various bloody objects and trash we've left around the room. "There are several different types of twins-"

" _Anyway…_ " Mukuro starts, stopping the lecture before it can begin. "I'd prefer black dye, but a dark brown will work as well."

"Understood!" Chihiro cheers, heading towards the door. "I-Is there anything else you need?"

She shakes her head. "Unless you think of anything else that I might need, that's pretty much it."

"Alright then, I'll be right back!" He says, straightening out his skirt.

"Oh, uh…" Mondo looks over to Taka, then over to Chihiro. "I'll come help ya!"

Chihiro looks up at him, a little confused. "Sure, but-"

"Let's get going!" He grabs his wrist and essentially drags him out of the room, leaving me staring after them in confusion.

"We should be going as well, Makoto." Sakura says, looking over to me. "There are a few matters that I would like to discuss with you…" She starts to make her way out the door, and I quickly follow behind her.

Once we're a safe distance away, I glance up at her. "So… was there something you _actually_ wanted to talk about, or didja just say that to give them some time alone?"

"Ah, so I was found out?" She chuckles slightly. "But you know… while it was mostly to give them an opportunity to speak, there is something I'd actually like to question you about."

"Which is…?" I start, uneasy feeling forming in the pit of my stomach.

"Earlier… when Mukuro was first impaled by the spear… you said her name." She says in a low voice, stopping in a camera's blind spot.

"W-Well, yeah?" I say, uneasy feeling evolving into a nervous brick. "I mean, Monokuma had said it…"

"He had, but…" She gives me a hard look. "You had said it with such confidence. Forgive my saying this, but it seems odd that you'd have no issue calling her by a name you had only learned moments before."

I stare up at the girl in horror. "A-Are you implying that I'm a traitor as well…!?"

"Not at all." She says flatly. "…If anything, I'm implying that she'd already come out to you about her true identity. All I'd like is to hear your opinion on this thought."

I shake my head. "No, this was the first time I heard it." I say with mock confidence. "It was pretty easy to start calling her that… you know, especially after she exposed Junko. I guess it just sorta clicked in my head? Either way, this was the first time I had heard her name."

She stares at me for what feels like an eternity, making it extremely difficult to keep myself from having a panic attack and blowing the secret. Finally, she nods with a sigh. "…I see. I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that Makoto, but I had to be sure."

"It's fine." I wave her off with a smile. "I'm glad that I could put you at ease at the very least. We're in this together, right? I can't have anyone doubting me."

"…Of course." She says, small smile on her lips. "We are all definitely in the same boat. Ah, if you'll excuse me now, I'm going to go find Hina. I think a little training session is in order." I nod and she turns away, disappearing down the hall silently.

I breathe out a sigh of relief. _"Thank god! I didn't think I could get it past her!"_ I glance around, wondering what to do next. _"I can't really go back to the infirmary already… I guess I'll go help Chihiro and Mondo out?"_

* * *

Taka's P.o.V:

I quickly finish picking up the different bits of trash and shirt pieces and discard them in the proper bin. With my task done, I quickly turn to Ju- Mukuro. "So… if you don't mind, may I speak to you for a bit?"

She nods. "…I would figure you have some questions for me?"

"Well… yes." I walk over and sit on the bed next to hers, though there isn't much space and our knees almost touch. "I'm… very confused about you Mukuro. Who are you really?"

She bites her lip and looks steadily downward. "Could you… hand me a disinfectant wipe please?"

I nod and stand, quickly grabbing one and returning to my spot in front of her. She takes it from me as I offer it to her, and starts to gently rub at her right hand. I'm about to ask what she's doing, but I start to see the slightest bit of black peeking out from where she's wiping.

"That is…" I start, squinting at her hand. My eyes widen in shock as I realize what it is. "A tattoo?!"

"Yes." She says, holding her hand out to me. "I got this when I was a part of a mercenary group known as Fenrir. My reason for being at Hope's Peak, my talent… is that I'm the Ultimate Soldier, Mukuro Ikusaba." She smiles at me, but it's by no means a happy one. "It's very nice to meet you, Taka."

"H-Hold on!" I say, trying to catch up. "Is Junko part of Fenrir as well?!"

"No, no." She assures. "I can already tell you that Fenrir has nothing to do with what's going on here… this is all my sister's doing."

"But how?!" My hands start trembling slightly. "How is it that a teenage girl managed to take down an entire school and turn it into a fortress!? It doesn't make any sense at all…!"

"I… can't tell you that." She glances over to the camera. "I'd be violating my promise not to tell you guys any more… and I don't want anyone to die for something I know you'll find out for yourself."

I frown. "That's another thing that's completely confusing me." I glance off to the side, not wanting to meet her gaze directly. "You are- _were_ , working with your sister to imprison us here. I don't understand why you turned against her like you had! What made you change your mind?"

She pauses. "You know… I can't really say that it was ever made up. In the beginning I was treating this as another mission, another assignment for me to complete as a soldier... She gave the orders; I followed them. I never believed in what we were doing here."

I whip my head up to her. "Then why go along with it in the first place!?"

She keeps quiet for a moment looking as though she's trying to choose her words carefully. "A-All my life, Junko was the only person I've ever had… even though she's always been a little twisted, I knew she loved me. But when I had joined Fenrir, she scorned me even more than she had originally." She takes a deep breath. "I… she said that if I helped her with this, that she'd finally forgive me. Forgive me for always being such a disappointing sister… It wasn't a hard decision to make for me to join her, even though I personally didn't want to do it."

"But then…" She continues, looking right at me. "I… got to know all of you. It wasn't supposed to happen; it _shouldn't_ have happened. Especially since I, the real me, isn't very good with people at all… but since I've been here that's changed bit by bit. Even though I knew you all weren't friends with the real me, I still…" She takes a deep breath. "I still didn't want to see any of you hurt. You, Makoto… all of you. So… I've resolved to make my sister the happiest she's ever been by saving you all."

I scrunch my face up. "I'm… not entirely clear on what you mean by that."

She shakes her head. "You'll understand it eventually…"

We stay silent for a while after that. Eventually I come up with something else to ask, something very important. "So… everything about you that we knew was a lie? Your personality, your stories, everything?"

"Well…" She bites her lip. "Not everything was. I could never fully become Junko… I just did my best to imitate her. I'm not as loud as I acted, and all of the stories were fake, but a lot of the things I had talked to you all about were from my own heart… as much as they could have been without making them seem weird anyway." She lets out a small laugh. "There were actually several times that I had messed up that I was almost certain that you'd all catch on."

"Such as?" I ask, leaning in slightly.

"W-Well…" She starts, a little flustered. "One time, Makoto had given me some rations… you know, the prepackaged food they have in the military. I had gotten so excited about them that he gave me a funny look! No model would actually enjoy those things…"

I chuckle slightly. "Oh really? What else then? I'd like to hear more!"

"Er… if you say so." She says, clearly not having expected this conversation to take this kind of turn. "Let's see… all those times I had lectured you on things were from me I guess. I had honestly thought all of those things were common sense, but…" She laughs a little. "It was good to teach someone who was more of a social invalid about something, you know? It made me feel more… normal."

"Well… as humiliating as it is to say, you have a point." I huff, not even bothering to take offense. "I am not the most… socially aware person. You've taught me a lot at the very least!" I smile over at her. "So! What else is there?"

She sighs slightly, tension leaving her shoulders a little. "Well, there was this other time…"

* * *

Mondo's P.o.V:

When Chihiro and I reach the warehouse, he glances up to me with a confused look on his face. "S-So… why did you come here with me? Was it because you wanted Taka and Mukuro to talk?"

"Pretty much." I say, looking over the massive shelves. "Well, for the most part anyway. I figured you'd need help hauling over all the shit you'd need."

He laughs a little. "Y-Yeah… I figured I would need more than what she listed off. So, where should we start?"

I scratch my cheek. "Well… we should prolly see if they have the color she wants first."

"Right…" We start scanning the shelves in a comfortable silence, but just then something occurs to me.

"Hey, Chi?" I start, turning over to him.

"Yes?" He asks, peeking up over a shelf to me, having climbed up to search.

"Were you the one who threw that wash bin a couple of days ago?"

He loses his grip on the shelf and falls flat on his butt, letting out a squeak of pain as he does. I rush over to help him. "Holy fuck, are you alright!?"

He waves me off, cheeks blazing. "I-I'm fine! Really!"

I huff and plop down on the floor next to him, smirk stuck on my face. "That's good… but I guess I got my answer, huh?"

He's basically doing his best impression of a tomato right now. "W-Well, ah… yeah. H-How did you figure it out though?"

"Things jus' clicked after a while." I laugh and rest my arm on my knee. "I gotta tell ya though, you scared the shit outta me! Wasn't exactly my nicest awakening, ya know?"

He frowns and looks downward. "I-I'm really sorry… I just didn't really know how to do it any other way! At first I tried walking up to you to do it, cause I had a towel on, but…" His face flushes again. "This and that happened, and well… I-I panicked."

I quirk an eyebrow at him, seriously confused. "This n' that…?"

"W-well!" He starts, looking away from me. "Okay, so…! I had walked over there to see who it was originally, and then I saw you there! So I started freaking out a little bit, but I was still going to go over and shake you awake, but then I tripped because I wasn't looking where I was going because my hands were covering my face! I-I landed really, really close to you and the steam wasn't thick enough so I saw _everything_ , and then I started freaking out a _lot_ , so I bolted!"

I look down at him, taking a moment to process his rambling. "So… ya saw me naked, and you panicked." He nods, still not meeting my gaze. I snort, then break out into a full laugh.

"W-What's so funny!?" He squeaks.

"Only _you_ would have a crap attack about something like that! It's a bath, what the hell did you expect?"

"For there to be no one there!" He says, resting his chin on his knees. "I-I had just wanted to try it out… I couldn't go normally for some pretty obvious reasons."

"Oh yeah…" Cause he's a guy... right. "Well hey, now you can go during the guy's time! You won't have to lurk around or anything!"

He flushes. "N-No… I can't."

"Why the hell not?" I say a little irritated. "We all know you're a guy now, so what's the big deal?"

"That's just it…" He says with a sigh. "You all know, but… it's still weird for me, and even weirder for the rest of you."

"How do ya figure?" I ask.

"Yesterday... I'm not going to go into too much detail, but I was wearing a… bikini. And it was pointed out that neither Makoto or Byakuya would feel comfortable looking at my chest, so it was alright for me to wear it…" He explains, sheepish look on his face.

I frown, a little pissed I didn't get to see him in it… you know, when I thought he was a girl. _"Is it any different now though? I mean, he's still cute one way or another… Maybe he'd put it on?"_ I stop myself short. _"Hell no, of course it's different! He's a fucking **guy**! I mean, I know that but…" _ I glance over to see him still rambling. _"Even though I know that, it doesn't help the fact that he's still really fucking adorable. Maybe it jus' hasn't sunk in yet that he's a dude?"_

...Or is it something else?

Somethin' more… gay?

I frantically shake my head. _"Like fuck! I've always been in to chicks, and I always will be! Jus' cause he just so happens to look like a girl, and is adorable as shit, that does not mean I'm gonna switch teams for him!"_

"Er… Mondo?" I look over to Chihiro. "I-Is there something wrong…?"

Fuck. "No, nothin' at all! What gave ya that idea?"

"Y-You sort of started flailing for no reason…" He says, concern plain on his face.

"Huh, that? Oh, it was nothing!" I turn away a little, hoping my face isn't as red as it feels.

He frowns, not buying it at all. "If you say so…"

I stare at him for a second. _"I'm only still feeling this way because I still haven't processed that he's a guy, right?"_

So all I gotta do is confirm it!

"Hey, Chi! There are a buncha clothes in here… why don'cha try some on?" I ask, standing up from my spot on the floor.

"H-Huh?" He looks so confused.

"Ya heard me!" I motion over to the mounds of clothing on the shelves. "Now that we all know you're a guy, you should at least have a few pieces a' guys clothing to wear! You know, jus' to switch it up every now and again!"

I offer him a hand and he takes it, grimacing slightly. "I-I'm not too certain I follow…"

I drag him over to one of the piles. "Ah come on, jus' humor me a little!" I pick out a pair of cargo shorts and a tank top and shove them in his hands, him glancing up at me a little nervously.

"A-Ahm, do you mind turning away?" He asks, blushing slightly. "I'm not super comfortable changing in front of anyone…"

I'm about to protest, but it dies in my throat because of the look he's giving me. I nod a little and turn away. _"I should still be able to tell he's a guy cause of the clothes though, right?"_

I flush a little at the shuffling of clothes, and after a moment he speaks up. "O-Okay, I'm done!"

I turn around and stare at him for a second. " _I can at least tell that he's a guy from how the shirt looks on him, but…"_ The strap of the tank top keeps sliding down, and he tied a belt in a knot just to keep the shorts up. Basically… he looks like a chick wearing her boyfriend's clothes.

…

Well shit… that didn't help at all.

"W-Well?" He asks, a little nervous, fighting to keep the tank top up.

"…It looks like you're wearing clothes that are too damn big for ya." I say flatly.

He sighs. "I-It doesn't help that they don't really make mens clothes in my size normally! I'd have to be in boys…"

" _Well there goes that fucking plan!"_ I internally bitch, letting out a sigh. "Well whatever, ya might as well just get changed back Chi."

"Right…" He mumbles. I turn away so that he can get undressed. After a couple of minutes, I turn back to him.

"Hey, what's the hold up?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him. He's currently gripping at the pants, or more specifically, the belt.

"A-Ah, well…" He flushes. "The knot I tied in the belt won't come undone."

"So?" I say, snorting slightly. "Just slip out of it. No one's gonna care if it's stuck."

"T-That's just it!" He says, a little frantic. "I can't just slip out! I tied it so it would stay on, b-but…"

As he says this, something clicks in my head. "Lemme try."

He flushes all over again. "H-Huh!? But-!"

Ignoring his protests, I put him up on one of the crates and crouch down. _"This oughta do it!"_ I try hard to suppress the smirk I feel coming up on my face. _"This is just like an older bro helping out the younger one! Nothing feelsy about this shit at all! It oughta prove that I'm not into him anymore!"_

So I get to work trying to undo the knot. "Jesus fuck Chi, you tied this really tight!" After a few moments of struggling with the knot, I glance up to him because he's being way too quiet for this not to be awkward.

He's looking steadily off to the side with a near permanent blush on his cheeks. The expression on his face is… I don't really know how to place it. Embarrassed? Pissed? He sorta looks like he wants to cry a little too.

And I'll be damned if he doesn't look absolutely adorable.

My face heats up instantly, and I automatically look down. _"This totally fucking backfired! I jus gotta get this done as quick as possible!"_ I start to try again, a little more frantic.

"H-Hey, Mondo!" He squeaks. "Not so rough!"

"It's not gonna loosen up if I don't do this!" I grind out, a little irritated for more than one reason. "It's really fucking tight!"

"B-But if you do that, I'll…!" On one really hard yank, he scoots forward on the crate and almost falls off. "Ahh! S-Seriously, just slow down a little!"

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

…

I'm left standing outside the warehouse, face crimson.

" _Wh-what in the world…?!"_


	15. Know What I'm Sayin'?

Makoto's P.o.V:

" _What in the world…!?"_

I'm left staring the warehouse door in complete shock after what I heard from inside. _"O-Okay Makoto, let's not freak out! That was… that was probably not what you thought it was! It couldn't be! I-I mean, Chihiro didn't even tell Mondo that he liked him, and I doubt they'd just go and do_ _ **that**_ _!"_

Right?

Hoping to god that I'm right I shove the warehouse doors open, effectively making enough noise to scare the crap out of both of them.

Chihiro, who's perched on a crate, lets out a scream before huffing at me. "O-Oh my god, Makoto! You scared me! Why did you slam the doors open like that?"

"Seriously bro, where's the fucking fire?" Mondo grouses… from between Chihiro's legs.

Oh dear.

My hands fly to cover my face. "W-What the hell are you doing?!"

Even though I can't see it, I can imagine the irritated expression on Mondo's face. "Hah? I'm trying to get this knot undone!"

I peek through my fingers. "Knot…?" Sure enough, Chihiro is wearing strange pants that are being held up by a belt tied in a knot. I breathe out a sigh of relief and move my hands off my face. "Oh…"

"Yeah, oh!" Mondo snarks. "Just what did you think that was happening?"

I look to Chihiro and then look away, seeing that he's curious as well. "Well, I had heard you guys from outside and… well… yeah. Let's just leave it at that."

"You heard us…?" Chihiro muses. He only thinks about it for a second before something visibly clicks, face erupting in a blush. "Oh my god, Makoto! Y-You seriously thought…!"

I frantically shake my head. "N-No! I mean, I wouldn't have come in here if I actually thought you were doing something like that, but then I saw you guys like _that_!"

Chihiro buries his face in his hands, and Mondo's gaze shifts between us. "What? I'm totally lost, is someone gonna explain?"

"No!" Chihiro and I answer in unison.

He looks taken aback. "Why the fuck not!?"

I shake my head and grab a pair of scissors from a bin on one of the shelves. "Because it's not important." I breeze past Mondo, whose grumbling under his breath, and take a hold of Chihiro's belt. In just one snip, I cut him free of it.

He breathes out a sigh of relief and hops off of the crate, keeping a firm hold on the shorts so they don't fall off his slim body. "Oh… thanks so much Makoto. I can't believe neither Mondo or I thought of that!"

"No problem." I say, putting the scissors back in the bin. "Uhm… if you don't mind me asking though, why are you dressed like that?"

He lets out a sigh, thumbing at the tank top. "Ah… Mondo had suggested I try on some new clothes. Y-You know, since everyone knows I'm a boy now. B-But I think we can all agree that this," He gestures to his clothing. "Doesn't look all that great on me."

I tilt my head a little. "No, the style is fine… I think the main issue is that those are way too big on you…" I walk over to the shelf and rummage through the pile, pulling out a pair of short shorts, and a simple green halter top. Chihiro frowns.

"Those… are still girl's clothes." He takes them from me anyway.

"But the main difference is that they'll fit and look a lot better on you." I say with a laugh. "We can find guy's clothes another time, for now it's just better to have something different to wear. Don't you think so Mondo?"

"Er… yeah." He says, weird look on his face. I raise an eyebrow, but don't comment.

I turn back to Chihiro. "Anyway, we should probably be getting back to the infirmary soon… I'm a little curious to see how Mukuro looks as… Mukuro."

"Ah…" He flushes all over again. "We haven't actually found anything yet… we got a little distracted, if you couldn't tell."

I walk past him to look for the supplies, nudging him slightly and shooting him a sideways grin as I do. "Oh, I'm sure you did!"

"M-Makoto!"

* * *

After we locate the supplies, which as it turns out was a lot more than Mukuro had said she would need, we make a pit stop by Chihiro's room so that he can get changed. While waiting, Mondo leans over to me.

"So… I gotta talk to ya later. Come by my room at like ten or somethin'."

I try to question him, but Chihiro comes out at that moment dressed in his usual attire. Guessing it probably has something to do with him, I opt to keep my mouth shut about it and fill our short walk back to the infirmary with idle banter.

I pause once we get to the door. "So… do you think it's alright for us to go in there now?"

Mondo scratches the back of his head. "Dunno… how long were we even gone?"

"I'm not sure…" Chihiro says with a frown. "We _did_ say we'd be back though…"

Mondo shrugs. "Whelp, they had fair warning." He opens the door, "Yo, guys-" He stops himself short.

"What?" I peek past him to see Mukuro and Taka… laughing.

Hah?

"Oh, hey guys." Mukuro breathes, wiping a tear from her eye. "Did you guys get the stuff?"

"Y-Yeah…" Chihiro says, carrying in the bag of supplies we gathered. "What are you two laughing about?"

Taka stands from the bed next to Mukuro's and turns to us, face red from laughing too hard. "Ah, she and I were merely swapping stories when we broke out in laughter for seemingly no reason! It makes no sense to me what-so-ever, but it's been quite a while since I've had a laugh like that!"

"R-Right…" Chihiro hands the bag to Mukuro. "Here. We brought combs, brushes, clips, gloves, and a few other things along with the stuff you had requested."

"Thanks." She says, accepting the bag with a smile. It falters slightly when she glances down at the contents. "A-Ah, uhm… do you think anyone here knows how to dye hair properly…? I don't know how to do it without missing any spots…"

I smack my forehead. "You don't know how!?"

She blushes. "Junko had handled it for me every time it needed to be done…"

Mondo laughs. "Seriously? You think you'd learn after a fuckin' while!"

"Language, brother!" Taka scolds.

Ignoring him, Mondo continues. "If ya really need help though, I don't mind doin' it. You can see that I do a pretty damn good job of it myself!"

She looks a little surprised at his offer, but nods. "I'd appreciate it…"

"Great!" He says with a grin. "I'll get shit set up, so you just go ahead and get started cutting your hair! The less there is to dye, the less chance that I'll fuck up."

Suddenly she looks skeptical of his abilities, but nods anyway. "Right…"

Taka laughs a little and turns away, heading toward the door. "Well! You all seem to have this handled, so I'll be going now! I must speak with the others about these developments!" Without waiting for a reply, he sweeps out of the room.

I glance to Mukuro. "Developments…?"

"He probably means to tell them that I don't mean to kill anyone… or something like that." She says with a lopsided smile. "Oh, can you bring over that trash can by the door? I'd like to get started."

I nod and drag it over to her. "Do you need any help, or…?"

She moves her shoulder a little. "It… should be fine. Taka had given me some painkillers while you were gone." She takes the largest pair of scissors from the bag and stands, bending over the bin as she gathers up her hair over it. Then, in one swift motion, cuts the majority of it off.

Chihiro gapes at her openly as she straightens herself, hair now only reaching her chin. "I-Is that really the best way to do that?"

She shrugs. "It's worked for me in the past…" She feels her hair in the back. "Though… I think it's normally shorter in the back than the front. I don't normally have bangs either, but I can't really do anything about those right now." She looks around. "Is there a mirror in here…?"

He frowns a little. "T-There is, but… are you going to try and cut the back on your own?"

"Well… yeah." She says, shooting him a flat look. "I told you that I've done this before."

Chihiro huffs and walks over to her. "I-If you don't mind, I think it would be a little faster and less frustrating if I helped you out." He starts rummaging around the bag, picking out different pairs of scissors and examining them.

She stares at him for a bit before laughing. "…Chihiro can be surprisingly forceful huh?"

He flushes. "E-Eh?"

I laugh as well. "Tell me about it!"

"I-I didn't mean to be pushy!" He squeaks, clearly embarrassed. "I-I was really just trying to-"

"I know." She says, facial expression shifting into something more gentle. "I was just playing."

He sighs a little, relaxing a little. "O-Okay…" He walks behind her with his chosen pair and starts to carefully snip at her hair. After a few minutes of silence, I make my way over to Mondo, whose mixing up the dye in a bottle. Glancing back to make sure that we're in the clear, I whisper to him.

"So…" Apparently he hadn't noticed me, because he jumps a little. "Why exactly did you want Chihiro to get guy's clothes?"

He grimaces slightly, not answering my question right off the bat. "…I just had to see for myself."

I raise an eyebrow. "But didn't you feel…?"

He flushes. "Well, yeah, but-" He sighs and screws on the top of the bottle. "Look, it's got a lot to do with what I wanna talk to ya about later. Jus' drop it for now."

I relent. "Fine."

"Good." He turns back toward Chihiro and Mukuro. "Ey, you done yet?"

Chihiro puts down the scissors and steps back, inspecting his work. "I think so…"

Mukuro feels the back of her hair, look of amazement passing over her features. "It feels so even… have you done this before Chihiro?"

He lets out a nervous laugh. "N-Nothing like that! I just tried to make it all match…"

Mondo brushes past the small boy with the supplied gathered in his hands. "Looks good to me. Let's get this over with."

Chihiro and I watch on in silence as Mondo carefully dyes the soldier's hair. Well… maybe not _carefully_ , since a decent amount lands on other places aside from her hair, but he at least makes certain that he doesn't miss any spots. After a short waiting period, Mukuro walks over to the sink and washes out the excess dye.

After a moment, she calls me over. "Did I get all of it…?"

I glance over her shoulder as she continues to run water over her head. It's going down the drain clear. "I think so." I grab one of the towels we had on standby and hand it to her, and she promptly drapes it over her head and starts to rub it with her good arm.

After a moment, she removes the towel. I'm almost floored at how much of a difference it makes. Her skin seems much paler in contrast to her dark hair, but it actually does look a lot better on her. "Wow… so this is what you actually look like, huh?"

She flushes a little. "Well… with bangs. Normally they aren't there."

Mondo lets out a snort. "Cause bangs really make that much of a difference. Gotta say though, ya look better like this than as a blonde."

"I agree!" Chihiro says with a smile. "It suits you much better than what you had before!"

Mukuro flushes to the tips of her ears. "Thanks…"

As we proceed to clean up the mess made from the dye, I glance over to Mukuro. "So… what now?"

She raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean…?"

"I mean, how is this going to work? No offense, but I don't think anyone outside this little group is going to trust you at all."

She frowns. "I figure as much, but… all I can do from this point is make sure sis fails. It would be better if they trusted me, but I think I'll still manage." She looks a little sheepish. "I mean, at the very least I know you and Chihiro trust me well enough…"

Chihiro smiles and nods at her. "Right."

Mondo, on the other hand, looks confused. "What…?" Before he can voice his question though, an all too familiar voice cuts in over the intercom.

"Ahem, ahem! Will all students please report to the gym immediately? I've got a _beary_ exciting announcement for you all!"

The intercom cuts out with a click, and I share a look with Mukuro. "You… didn't say anything to Taka, right?"

She shakes her head. "No! I've held up my end of the bargain…" She glances over to the intercom. "It must be something else…"

I glance from Chihiro to Mondo, having a feeling that we were all asking the same question.

What now?

* * *

Our group of four is the first to arrive at the gym, even with the extra irritation of having to move an IV stand down the hall with us. Everyone wanders in at their own pace, with everyone aside from Taka, Byakuya, and Jack, making a point of staying as far away from Mukuro as possible. Once we're all accounted for, Monokuma appears on stage.

"Hey, hi, howdy ho, how's it going kiddies, I'm so excited to see-"

"Hang on a fucking minute!" Leon yells. "Why the hell are you still hiding behind that bear!? We all know who you are now, so what's the issue in meeting us face to face!?"

The bear tilts his head. "Me? I'm Monokuma, see! You'll get the big reveal once you work hard enough, raising the actual curtain now is too boring!"

He looks ready to argue, but Byakuya shoots him a withering look before turning toward the bear. "Get on with it. There's a reason you called us all here, correct?"

Monokuma smacks his paws together. "Oh, but of course! See, since that last motive was such a terrible flop… I'm going to go ahead and give you a new one now!"

"S-So soon!?" Hina stutters. "But… we just got done exploring the third floor! Why-"

"Hush!" Monokuma chides. "I'm the headmaster, so I'll do as I see fit!" He hops off of the podium and paces at the edge of the stage.

"So… I was thinking." He starts. "All the motivation I've given you all so far has been so negative! Threats, secrets… all such shady business! Which is why I've decided to take a more positive approach to it this time! Behold!"

Just like last time, a large stack of money rises from the stage. Most of the others are staring agape at the massive pile of money, but I just stare at him.

"That's your idea of a motive? Money?" I say, trying to portray disbelief.

"Not just money!" He says with a cheer. "This here is Ten. Million. Dollars! Ten million smackaroos, right here! And all anyone has to do to win this paltry sum is successfully graduate from the school! It's great, right?"

"So…" Hiro says, eyeing the large pile of money. "We _have_ to kill someone to get it? We can't just, I dunno, maim them or something?"

"Hiro!" Hina squeals.

"What?" He says, puffing out his cheeks. "It's just a question!"

"Nope!" Monokuma says, kicking his tiny legs back and forth on top of the large pile. "There needs to be death, and there needs to be an _actual_ class trial! I'm thoroughly disappointed that we haven't been to my lovely courtroom yet!"

He lets out a sigh and continues. "And I don't wanna hear anything about how no one is going to kill someone else for money, because we all know that's just bull. People kill other people over money all the time, and normally for a lot less than what I'm offering you! So live up to your potential kiddies, I wanna see some murder!"

With those final words, the large pile of money recedes into the stage with him on it, leaving us all in a suffocating silence. I glance back to Byakuya. His mouth is pressed into a tight line, seemingly lost in thought.

I turn my gaze back toward the stage and let out a sigh. "So it's starting again…"

"It would seem so." Sakura says, looking equally displeased. "And so soon as well…"

"I 'unno, maybe it's a good thing." Leon suggests, cleaning out his ear with his pinky. "I mean, if we can get past these motives like we did the last one, maybe that psycho will run out of ideas!"

"Wish it was that simple…" Mukuro mumbles.

Celes turns and begins to walk away, not having heard the girl. "Pointless speculation aside, it would seem that we have another challenge to face." She glances back to us, overly sweet smile on her face. "Ah, but we all did so well with the last one… I'm certain we'll survive, even with a traitor in our midst." She then continues her way out of the gym, but not before shooting a scathing look towards Mukuro.

Everyone simply stares after her. "Well… she recovered fast." Hina muses, still clearly off-put by Celes' earlier episode.

Leon grimaces. "I don't think we can classify that as a recovery Hina…"

"Agreed." Byakuya says, finally joining the conversation. "I suggest we all be wary of her… that incident earlier wasn't just out of a fit of anger."

Hifumi looks shocked. "Are you suggesting that Master Celes is truly that cruel and cynical!? I mean, she certainly has her moments, like when I had made her tea wrong, and when she _insisted_ that I referred to her as Master Celes, but to suggest-"

"I'm only suggesting that we do not assume how she acts to be who she is." Byakuya scoffs, cutting him off. "She holds the title Queen of Liars for a reason."

"Mr. Togami…" Hifumi starts, clearly angered by his words. "We cannot afford to turn against each other at this point! That title only applies to gambling, I assure you! Bringing it up now will only cause unease and doubt!"

"Which in her case would be the right call." He says flatly. "How are we to trust someone who hides their true intentions like she had? She already said earlier that she had lied about being fine with living here… who's to say that she wouldn't take the express route-"

"That is quite enough!" Hifumi yells. "Need I remind you that we are supposed to be friends?! What good does it do to bring up something said in a fit of rage? None, absolutely none! Master Celestia may be temperamental, but that does not mean that she is a person who would simply kill someone!" Without waiting for his reply, Hifumi storms out of the gym, dramatic impact of the exit lessened by his fat jiggling with every stomp.

I smack Mondo's arm when I see him fighting to laugh. "Dude, seriously?"

"What?" He frowns. "It was funny, and you know it!"

I sigh. "Maybe so, but it doesn't change what an issue we have!"

"Which is…?" Leon asks, clearly not getting it.

"That we're losing faith in each other!" I say, exasperated. "Look at us, we're starting to break apart! While I agree we should be careful around Celes, we shouldn't start turning against each other completely! That's how murders happen!"

"Eh…" Hiro says, scratching his chin. "Guess ya got a point, but didn't the last murder happen 'cause you trusted Sayaka?"

What?

"Yeah…" Leon says, face screwed in thought. "Yeah that's right! She went all stabby psycho on ya 'cause you opened the door for her!"

"That was different!" I say, trying to regain a hold on the situation. "Sayaka was driven mad with grief over that video! This motive is based purely on greed, there's no way anyone's gonna go nuts and kill someone!"

"But that bear had said that people kill for money all the time!" Hina says, a little panicked. "Someone can say they won't kill anyone for it, but-!" She whips her head around to Hiro.

"Woah, woah!" He says, furiously waving around his hands. "I'm not gonna do anything! Sure I want the cash, but there's no way I'd kill someone for it or anything!"

"A likely story!" Hina says with a huff. "You're the only one out of all of us who even asked about it! If you ask me, that makes you suspicious!"

"H-Hang on guys!" Chihiro says. "You're completely missing Makoto's point!"

"Yeah, Big Mac knows what he's talking about!" Jack says, pointing a pair of scissors in their direction. "As a killer myself, I know better than to go after a man in a group! It's those lone sheep that are the easiest to pray on, ya feel? So that's why you nincompoops shouldn't do what the Big Bad Blonde Wolf wants ya to do and listen to these two little piggies!"

"I thought there were three little piggies!" Leon says, glaring over at the killer.

She rolls her eyes. "Fine Carrot Top, I'll toss the soldier in there to make three! She seems smart enough!"

"But she hasn't said anything!" He argues. "Not to mention the small fact that she was _working for the enemy_! You expect us to trust her word?"

"I do!" Jack chirps, sweet smile gracing her features. "She definitely saved my man Totes Makotes, and that's all that matters to me! I mean, how else is he gonna be able to have sexy man sex with Byakuya if he's dead!?"

I gag, along with a few others present. "Alright, done with this conversation! I'm out!" I turn towards the doors, but stop when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I glance back to see Mukuro looking at me with a tired expression on her face.

"I'll be coming with you." She says with a sigh. "I don't think it's best for me to be here right now." I nod at her and continue on, making certain not to speed too far ahead of her as we walk.

* * *

We reach my room in a reasonable amount of time. Once inside, I let Mukuro sit down on the bed and pull up a chair for myself, glancing to her. I'm a little worried because of how pale she is.

"You don't look all that great Mukuro." I say after a moment.

She lets out a dry laugh. "Guess I can't get anything past you, huh?"

I grimace. "It's not exactly hard to guess! You have a hole in your shoulder, there's no way you can feel alright after that!"

"…I guess you're right." She says flatly. She goes quiet for a while before speaking up again. "It's funny… I never imagined sustaining an injury like this would be so… draining."

"You're still pretty anemic." I say. "I'm not surprised at all that you're tired."

She picks at the IV still stuck in her arm a little. "Yeah…"

"Do you want to take a nap?" I offer. "I don't mind if you do, I can keep myself busy enough."

She looks like she's going to refuse for a bit, but nods anyway. "I think I will." She scooches a little farther up on my bed and pulls my discarded blanket off the floor. She must have been more tired than I had initially thought, because she's out like a light within a minute.

"...I'm sorry, Mukuro." I whisper once I'm sure she's out cold. I sigh and rest my head on the table. _"Because this is my fault, right?"_

I hadn't had time to think about it earlier because of everything seemingly happening at once, but this really _is_ my fault. If I weren't so straightforward… maybe she _wouldn't_ have been skewered by her sister. Maybe she _wouldn't_ be hated by everyone else. Maybe… maybe it would have been better if I did this a different way.

But at the same time, I can't look back and wonder about the maybies. It's done and over with… and I've already managed to save two of my friends, Mukuro is still alive, and Kyoko…

…

Oh my god, _Kyoko!_

I stand up from the table with a clatter, startling Mukuro from her light sleep. "W-What's going on-!?" She says, rocketing to a sitting position.

I breathe out slightly, suddenly on edge. I rush over to the note pad and rip a sheet off of it and write a single phrase down on it before handing it to the girl.

_What happened to Kyoko?_

Her eyes widen and she gestures for me to hand her the pencil, scribbling down below my question.

_I don't know!_

Suddenly feeling weak I sit down next to her. "This… can't be right, right?" I manage, voice only a whisper. "There's no way she'd just kill her! I-I mean, she thinks well all think she's dead! So…"

Mukuro lets out a little sigh and puts a hand on my shoulder. "I don't know what to tell you…" The expression on her face is one of pity. "I really don't. But… I don't think sis would just kill her. She probably just moved her somewhere…"

"But what if she didn't!?" I whisper harshly. "What if Kyoko… what if she's actually dead!? She can't… she can't be!"

"M-Makoto…" Mukuro starts, but I cut her off.

"Mukuro, she can't be! She…" I take a breath, making sure to check my voice. "Last time… I wouldn't have made it through any of this without her…! She figured out most of the things about the cases, and god Mukuro… She's my best friend! We promised that we'd be together just as we were going to leave, that we'd work together to solve everything…" I feel tears welling up in my eyes, tears that threaten to spill over at any moment. "But… what if I can't keep my promise to her?"

She doesn't say anything, instead moving her hand to my other shoulder and pulling me into an awkward one-armed hug. I do my best to hold in the tears, but the simple gesture is enough to break me down.

And I cry.

I cry because I almost got Mukuro killed.

I cry because I don't know what to do to stop people from dying.

But most of all, I cry for Kyoko.

For my best friend, who is probably as good as dead.

* * *

After what feels like an eternity, I finally calm down. I blow my nose in a tissue and glance over to Mukuro. "I'm… sorry for that."

"It's fine." She says, small smile gracing her features. "I… wouldn't really know what you're feeling like right now, but… do you at least feel a little better?"

I nod. "Yeah… I guess this whole thing is just really hard on me, you know? Having to go through this more than once… still not being able to keep everyone safe…"

"You may have not been able to save everyone Makoto…" She says, playing with a strand of her now short hair. "But you saved Chihiro and Mondo… and me. Look, we may not know where Kyoko is, but… you've got to stay strong no matter the outcome."

"I know." I say. "I know, but… it's not that easy."

She huffs a little. "It may not be easy… but I know you can. If not on your own then… you have people who'll help you. People who can remind you of what you're doing, what you're working for… like comrades on the battlefield."

" _She means that I'm not alone right?"_ I smile a little. "Thanks Mukuro."

She looks like she's about to reply, but just then I hear a knock at the door. I quickly wipe at my eyes and pray to god that they don't look as red as I'm sure they are before opening the door.

Waiting on the other side is Byakuya, who looks none too pleased. "Makoto, we-" He stops himself short when he sees me. "You… were you crying?"

"A little." I admit. "Was there something you needed…?"

He sighs a little. "I have things I'd like to… discuss with you." He glances past me to Mukuro. "Alone, preferably."

I glance back to her and she nods. "Right…" I start. "Just let me get her to Chihiro or Taka."

"I'm not a package…" She grumbles quietly, standing and following behind me as I walk out the room. I lock it behind me and take out my e-Handbook, noting that Taka, Chihiro, and Mondo are all in the dining hall. I walk over there with her and say a quick hello to them all before leaving again, not bothering to explain myself.

Once I'm back out in the hall, I follow Byakuya into our usual meeting place; the bath house.

"Alright, so…" I start, flopping down on one of the benches. "I'm guessing we need to talk about this next motive, right?"

He nods. "I'm afraid this one is going to be a little irritating to handle though."

"What do you mean?" I question, looking up at him.

He sits down on the bench across from me. "A lot of circumstances from last time aren't in play this go-around. Taka hasn't undergone his… transformation, and both he and Hifumi are completely ignorant to Alter Ego's existence, along with most everyone else here."

I grimace. "Isn't that a good thing though?"

He sighs. "Yes and no. There is less probability that things are going to play out as we knew them to, but at the same time… we have nothing to go on this time."

My eyes widen. "Are you saying that… we may not be able to predict what happens next?"

"Exactly." He affirms, irritation plainly written in his handsome features. "There are too many situational things that have changed this time. I don't think we'll have to worry about Taka this time, but Hifumi's blind faith in that girl is cause for concern. He's probably going to end up going along with whatever hair-brained scheme she comes up with this time as well."

"…Maybe not." I say, glancing up at him. "I mean, Hifumi's rage last time was caused by him thinking Taka had taken Alter Ego and molested Celes as Kiyondo. But since those two things aren't an actual thing this time… maybe he won't."

His lips press into a tight line. "I suppose that's one outcome, but… it's too difficult to say for certain." He growls and takes off his glasses, cleaning them off with a small cloth. "This is absolutely infuriating! At least with the last two we actually had something to work off of, but this time we're completely in the dark! Having my hands tied like this… how disgusting!"

I can tell he's thought about this a lot... maybe a little too much, if his rage is any indication. "Well, no one said we couldn't do anything."

"What can we possibly do?" He grouses, clearly having tried to think of a solution on his own beforehand. "Stalk Celestia and Hifumi?"

I stare at him a bit. "Well… yes."

He shoots me a flat look. "You _cannot_ be serious."

"Not actually of course!" I squeak. "I mean, maybe we just sort of monitor their location with our e-Handbooks! You know, just to see if they go anywhere strange together or something."

"…It's better than nothing I suppose." He rubs his forehead slightly. "This is going to be a lot more trouble than it's worth, I can already feel it."

I don't have the heart to disagree. "Like you said, it's better than nothing."

He glances down to me. "So… are you going to tell me why you were crying?"

I sigh. I knew he was probably going to bring it up. "It's… silly."

He huffs and sits down next to me on the bench. "If you're allowed to overreact to a small cut on my hand, I'm allowed to force you to tell me what caused you to cry."

"…Fine." I frown, slumping over slightly. I proceed to explain my guilt about everything that's happened, and about how Kyoko's whereabouts are currently unknown. I feel tears trying to form as I explain, but I will them away… because I need to be strong.

"You do realize that not everything that's happened is your fault, right? It's idiotic to place all the blame on yourself." He says after listening to me explain myself. "Sure, you were foolish enough to trust Sayaka, but it's not like you told her to try and kill you." He snorts. "Only you would get worked up over that. And as for Kyoko… she's too irritating to die easily. I'm certain that she's fine."

I open my mouth to try and respond, but he cuts me off. "If you doubt her now, I'm certain she'll be upset with you. Even if she's unconscious, I bet she's still not letting them do as they will with her. Try to have a little faith in your so-called best friend."

I can't help but smile. Even though his words are harsh, I know he only means well. "…Alright. I hate having her angry at me after all."

"Good." He says, glancing over to me. "Well then… shall we get our monitoring started now?"

…

The monitoring was a lie. A complete and utter lie… for him at least. He was constantly pulling me away from my handbook for… other things. Nothing lewd of course, but it was obvious to me he wasn't very interested in spending time staring at a tiny screen. Several hours passed us by, and eventually I had to pry him off of me when the night time announcement chimed through the halls.

I make sure Byakuya is in his room before I move toward Mondo's. I quietly knock on the door and he opens it almost instantly, as if he were waiting for me.

"Hurry your ass up and get in here!" He grabs my arm and pulls me into the room, being super careful not to slam the door behind him.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Uh… the rooms are sound-proof you know. You don't need to be so careful about it."

"Like fuck I don't! What if there was someone in the hall and they got suspicious?" He grouses, slinging off his trademark jacket. "Ain't willing to risk having someone come and overhear this shit, ya know?"

"O-kay…" I scratch my head slightly. "So what is it you wanted to talk to me about? Something concerning Chihiro, right?"

He nods a little. "Look, so I don't really understand this shit that's going 'round in my head at all. You mind jus' listening to it and tellin' me what you think? Cause I'm seriously ready to slam my head into a fucking wall over this." I nod my assent, waiting paitently for him to start talking.

He sighs. "Kay, so… Back when I thought Chi was a girl, I thought he was the cutest fucking thing ever. It was really weird though, cause I felt like I had known him forever! It jus' felt so natural talkin' to him! Of course, that's not really the important part..." He starts to pace a little as he rambles on. "Either way, I thought that we could really have something, ya know? But we're in this shitty situation and all, and he really wasn't the type I normally go for! Not to mention that shitty losing streak I'm on right now…" He shakes his head a little. "But then I find out he's really a dude. And, ya know, it really should have been the end of that!"

"But it wasn't…?" I question, hoping to move it along a little faster.

"No! Which was really fucking weird for me, because no matter how I looked at him, I still saw him as just a really cute person! I hadn't really had a chance to think about it much yesterday, so imagine my fucking surprise when I see him this morning and I _still_ see him like that!" He groans and rubs his face in his hands. "So whenever he and I were in that damn warehouse looking for hair stuff, I got the idea that maybe seeing him in boy's clothes would put a stop to it! Ya know, because maybe there was some sorta disconnect whenever I… ya know. Touched his chest. So he puts the shit I picked out for him on and, lo and be-fucking-hold, he's really a guy! But those damn butterflies in my stomach were still there, and, well…"

"Well?" I urge.

"I got the idea when he was messing with the knot on those shorts that maybe what we had going on was more of a big-bro-little-bro type thing! So I lifted him on that crate and started to try and help him get it undone, but…" I see the faintest blush start to form on his tanned cheeks. "His face… it did things to my insides man. If I had to describe what he looked like at that moment…"

I stare at him a little. _"Is… is Mondo about to say something sweet?"_ I really sort of hope he does, because maybe… maybe Chihiro has a chance after all.

Mondo looks me right in the eye. "He looked absolutely fuckable."

…

I smack my forehead. "Dude, _that's_ the word you pick out!?"

"I couldn't think of a better one!" He yells. "Either way he looked really, really good! It really threw me the fuck off okay? So I've basically had to do my best not to freak out around him all day, because _yeah_ , I had those thoughts about someone who's supposed to be my bro!"

I take a bit to process his words. "So… you think you're lusting over him?"

He frowns. "Well… sorta. It's not just about that though. He's just a cute person, inside and out. Like… someone who I jus' like being around."

I sigh. "So you like him."

"Well, yeah!" He says. "But he's a fucking guy!"

"And?" I question.

"I'm _straight_!" He yells out, clearly frustrated. "Like _fuck_ a gang leader is gonna be respected if people find out he's with a dude! I'm a goddamn pansy!"

"Mondo…" I start with a sigh. "You realize that not all gay people are like their stereotype, right?"

"Well… I guess you're right." He deflates slightly. "But… that doesn't change the fact that I'm not gay."

"But you still feel like this for Chihiro." I deadpan. He smacks his head on the wall.

"I know that, damn it!" He grouses. "It's just…! It's not like I go jacking off to dudes or anything! I just like _him_! Him and only him!"

"You think I do?" I sigh. "Byakuya is the only guy I've ever been into! _Ever_. Not once before all this crap started happening did I think that I'd be attracted to another man!"

He frowns over to me. "Do ya think… that this sorta thing is temporary? Like once we're out of this fucked up situation that those things'll just… stop?"

"I don't think you become attracted to the same sex because of a mutual killing game Mondo." I say, shooting him a flat look. He sighs.

"Yeah, I'll admit that one was dumb." He rubs the back of his neck. "Still though… what if what I'm feelin' in my gut is just a fluke?"

"Then…" I scratch my cheek a little. "Just don't do anything until you know for sure. It's obvious you think about him in that way, but what you need to think about is whether or not you're okay with being with a guy. Then you'll be able to decide if it's a fluke or not."

He goes quiet for a while before finally nodding. "…Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks bro."

I smile at him. "Anytime."

We just talk for a long while after that, and by the time I leave it's already one in the morning. I sigh and pull out my e-Handbook, deciding to check everyone's locations once again.

" _Most people are in their rooms… Hifumi included."_ I muse, walking back to my room. _"But… Celestia is in the art room?"_ A frown makes its way on to my face. " _Could she be planning to try the same thing as last time?"_

Against my better judgment, I decide to go and check the art room. " _It has to be done! She's probably just setting it up right now anyway, so I might be able to talk her out of it! And… if something does happen, I'll just run away."_ I think, trying to justify my actions. _"I can't let this happen again!"_

Hardening my resolve, I sprint off to the art room. I screech to a stop when it occurs to me that it may be a good idea to bring someone with me. I turn back and knock on Byakuya's door and wait for a moment before realizing that he's not going to answer. He's probably asleep.

I turn back to Mondo's room, figuring that he's still awake. I knock on the door and he quickly answers, looking confused. "What's up bro? Forget something?"

I shake my head. "I need you to come with me to the art room. I was checking my e-Handbook and saw that Celes is in there… alone."

"So?" He questions.

"So, I'm really afraid she might be planning something!" I say, a little panicked. "You saw how she was acting earlier! If she is, I wanna stop her before she does something that she'll regret!"

He processes my words for a quick moment before nodding. "Kay then, let's haul ass!"

And we do. We're up the stairs to the art room within minutes. I take a moment to catch my breath before glancing up to him. "Ready…?"

He nods. "Let's go."

I straighten myself and grab the handle of the door, hesitating a moment before I fling it open.

My breath catches when I see the sight that waits for me.

Pinned to the wall by her hands, trail of blood still streaming down her neck… is Celes. Cold and lifeless.

And Byakuya, laying out-cold on the floor.

…Or so I hope.


	16. The Cake was a Lie

Makoto's P.o.V:

Time seemed to stop. I can only stare wide-eyed at the scene in front of me, praying to god that my mind is playing tricks on me. That Celes doesn't have blood still trickling from her neck. That Byakuya isn't passed out on the floor.

That this really is happening again.

But reality is cruel. Monokuma's body discovery announcement rings through the speakers. "A body has been discovered! All students please gather in the Gym immediately!"

Mondo gapes at the scene in front of him, just as I am. "W-What the… what the fuck!" He turns to me. "I thought you said she was the one acting shady!?"

"I-I did!" I say. I rush over to her to try and check for a pulse, but it occurs to me that no one can still be alive and stay pinned to a wall as still as she is. I immediately turn my attention to Byakuya. "Oh god, Byakuya…!" I bend over to examine him, but Mondo catches my wrist.

"Dude!" He says, yanking me away from him. "We gotta get to the gym!"

"But-!"

"But nothin'!" He cuts me off with a yell. "I don't wanna find out what that fucking bear'll do to us if we show up late, so we need to go!"

"Then I'll catch up to you!" I yell back, yanking my wrist free. "I can't leave without making sure!"

He scowls. "Like fuck I'm leaving you here, shithead!" He grabs me and slings me over his shoulder, heading out the door.

I kick and flail in an attempt to break free of his grip, but he has too tight of a hold on my waist. "Let me go…!"

"I can't." He says in a low voice. "I'm not gonna abandon another one of my bros…!" He trails off for a moment. "Look, I know ya want to go in there and check on him, but I saw him breathing. Whatever that fucking announcement was… it was for that chick Celestia. Just trust me enough on this, alright?"

I stop trying to break free, anger fading in an instant. I do trust him… I _have_ to trust him. "…Alright. I promise I won't go back, so…" I don't have to finish my question for him to place me on the ground. "Thanks…"

He nods, expression somber. "Let's get going."

* * *

By the time we reach the gym everyone else has already gathered. Some of them appear as though they had just woken up, while others look like they hadn't even gotten ready for bed yet.

Mukuro catches my arm as I walk in. "Makoto… what's going on?"

I do my best to keep my expression neutral, but I know for a fact that it's anything but. "Celes is dead, and Byakuya is unconscious in the room with her corpse."

"What!?" Leon yells, having overheard me. "The goth chick… she's dead!? No fucking way…!"

Hina looks about ready to fall over. "H-How…? I don't understand! Wasn't she the one who was acting the most suspicious!?"

Mukuro scowls. "Which is why someone probably decided to kill her first…"

Monokuma groans loudly from his place on stage. "Cut the chatter! I've got to tell you guys how this is going to work!" Everyone immediately quiets down, waiting for the bear to speak. "Now, first and foremost, I am so excited this finally happened! An actual, investigatable murder!" He does a little twirl from his place on the podium. "Okay, so… after a short period of investigation, we'll hold a class trial! It's up to you guys to look around and collect enough evidence before time runs out so that you'll _hopefully_ be able to catch the real killer!"

"Hold on!" Mondo yells. "What about prissy pants!? He's knocked out in there with her!"

"Oh, him?" Monokuma taps his paw to his chin. "If he wakes up by the time the trial starts I'll let him participate, but otherwise he's exempt!"

"You…! I meant about getting the fucker some medical help!" He yells, anger rising by the moment.

Monokuma just waves him off. "I saw the whole thing, don't worry! The culprit didn't hit him hard enough to kill him… I'm pretty sure he doesn't even have a concussion! They just made him take a small nap is all!" Mondo looks ready to put the small bear through a wall, but somehow manages to contain himself.

He pulls out a file from behind him. "Now, I present you with… the Monokuma File! It has all kinds of helpful details about the case, none of them fudged! Scouts honor! You'll be able to access a digital copy on your e-Handbooks later!"

I walk up to the stage and snatch the file away from the bear, opening it up and quickly taking in the details.

_Victim: Taeko Yasuhiro, a.k.a Celestia Ludenberg_

_T.o.D: 12:30 a.m._

_C.o.D: Extreme blood loss caused by a single slice to the jugular vein. The only other wounds present were two punctures to her wrists._

"Twelve thirty?" I question. "That was only an hour ago…!" I hand the file to Mukuro so that she'd be able to look at it next, and she passes it to the next person. Once we've all had a look, Monokuma speaks up again.

"Now, go do your best to find out the truth kids! I'll let you know when the investigation period is over!" With that, he disappears in a puff of smoke.

"Hold on!" Hifumi yells. "H-How on earth are we supposed to investigate…!?"

Sakura grimaces. "…It seems we'll have to figure that part out on our own. I'm guessing Makoto was the one who discovered the body?"

Mondo nods. "Me and him went to look cause we thought it was weird that she'd be in there so late."

"Very well. Let's not waste any time."

* * *

_**Investigation: Start** _

* * *

My thoughts are in turmoil as I walk to the scene of the crime. I keep trying to tell myself that I can do this, that I've done this before… but another part of me whispers that it was only because Kyoko was here. The Ultimate Detective… there's no way anyone else here can find out the truth!

…Aside from Byakuya and I.

But Byakuya is out cold, or worse yet possibly dead… which means it's all on me to find out what exactly happened an hour ago.

I can't let my emotions get the better of me right now.

Once we get back to the art room, I immediately turn to Sakura and Mondo. "I hate to ask this of you two, but can you please stand guard while we investigate? I don't think it would be a good idea to leave the area unattended…"

Mondo nods. "I prolly wouldn't be able to make heads or tails of this shit if I tried. I'll leave it to you guys."

"You may rely on us." Sakura affirms. "We shall make certain nothing is moved out of this room!"

I nod and turn away, looking around the room. Currently only Chihiro, Hina, Hifumi, and Leon are in the room. Hiro and Taka had carted Byakuya, who was thankfully still breathing, off to the infirmary with Mukuro following close behind. I'm unsure where Jack went off to… but I'm relatively certain that people wouldn't trust her to investigate anyway. Cause, you know… she's a serial killer and all.

I sigh and glance around the room, wondering where to start. I'd like to put the body itself off as long as possible, so I start scanning the room for anything that seems out of place. Immediately several things stick out to me, but the first thing I move to examine is an empty tube of some sort laying on the ground.

"This is…" I mumble, trying to figure out the contents.

Hina peeks over my shoulder. "Hey, isn't that white out?"

"White out?" I question.

"Yeah!" She nods. "You use it to correct mistakes on paper, it makes it look like it was never there!" She tilts her head. "Nothing really weird about it being in the art room though."

I frown. "I wonder about that…" I decide to add it to my list of clues anyway. _"Even though it makes sense for it to be in the art room, finding an empty tube of it on the floor when people had just discovered the place seems strange."_

" **White Out" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

I stand and move across the room to look at the blood spatter covering the floor. _"It makes sense though… there's no way it wouldn't be bloody if she had her throat cut."_ There's a smeared trail of it leading to Celestia's place on the wall, which means the killer had dragged her over there to pin her to the wall.

The main body of blood on the floor is a little strange however. It looks like someone had tried to wipe up the blood, but was interrupted at some point, as they'd only managed to get up a small bit of it. I glance over to her body. _"I don't need to be up close to see that her body is covered in blood… but there's no obvious spot where she was laying in it. Is that the part the killer had wiped up?"_

" **Abnormal Blood Spatter"** **has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

Glancing around, I notice Chihiro examining something in the corner. "Hey Chihiro!" I say, walking over to him. "What are you looking at?"

He frowns. "W-Well, this…" He points to the trash can sitting in front of him. "There's a bloody rag in here. I want to take a look at it, but…"

I look around the room. "Hang on." I walk over to one of the work stations and grab a pair of pliers off of it. "This should work..." I walk back over to him and use the pliers to pick up the rag, which in reality turns out to be a large tarp. "Doesn't this look like one of the sheets they use to cover something so it doesn't get dusty?"

He nods and glances around. "It doesn't look like any of the statues in here have one though… you think this came off of one of them?"

"Maybe…" I say, letting it fall back into the can. _"Could the killer have used this to wipe the blood up?"_

" **Bloody Sheet" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

Looking at Chihiro, I see that he's still in his pajamas; a frilly tank top and a pair of lose fitting shorts. "Were you asleep when the announcement rang out?"

He nods. "Monokuma actually had to come in and wake me up…"

"That's right!" Monokuma cheers, suddenly appearing between us. "I tell ya, it was so annoying! I need sleep too, you know… why did you nimrods hafta discover the body so late?! I had to literally go around and wake up everyone who was sleeping!"

I raise an eyebrow. "You mean no one actually woke up from the announcement?"

He sighs and shakes his head. "Nope, not a soul. I envy the kind of sleep people get where even my melodious voice won't wake them up!"

He then disappears as quickly as he came, and I sigh. "I have to say the same…"

" **Monokuma's Account"** **has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

Chihiro frowns up at me once he's gone. He looks ready to cry. "M-Makoto… I don't like this. Why do you think someone killed her? I-It's true that she was pretty mean, but… I don't think she deserved to die!"

"I don't either…" I say, frowning over to her corpse. "But that's why we need to do our best to find out who killed her!"

He still looks like he wants to burst into a fit of tears, but he nods. "…You're right! I'm going to go look around in the storage closet, so you can leave that part to me!"

I smile at him in what I hope is a reassuring way. "I'll be counting on you then!" He turns and walks into the room, making sure to leave the door open as he does.

I turn around and walk across the room to one of the tables when I notice a file sitting innocently on top of it. With one glance at the contents, I can tell what it is.

It's Genocide Jack's file from the archive.

"Whatcha got there Makoto?" Leon questions, coming up from behind me.

I frown. "It's a file about Genocide Jack… I wonder what it's doing here?"

I hand him the file and let him flip through it, his facial expression changing into a grimace as he flips through. "So brutal…! It's sorta scary to think that we're living with the same person who did this, huh?" As if something occurs to him, he glances back to Celes' body. "Thinking about it though… isn't how she is sorta similar to these pictures?"

Looking at the body, I notice that he's right. "But… something's off, isn't it?" He looks whole heartedly confused by what I mean, so I shake my head and leave him to look over the file.

" **Jack's File" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

Carefully stepping over the blood on the floor, I make my way over to the body, where Hifumi is staring at it with a sad expression on his face. "Hifumi… you shouldn't be here. I know you and Celes were close, so it's fine!"

He shakes his head. "No, Mr. Naegi… I have to be here. I can't just hide away and pretend this didn't happen."

I nod. "Well… if you could at least move back a little, I want to get a closer look at the body." He hesitates for a moment, but makes room for me anyway. Looking at the body, she seems to be coated in her own blood, her stockings, hands, and knees especially. There are large splotches of blood in random places on her dress and skin, and some even in her hair.

"It's scary to imagine all this blood came from one cut though…" I mumble, examining her blood stained clothes.

Hifumi lets out a small sigh. "Alas, in every slasher film I've ever seen this much blood is common from a slice to the jugular vein … it comes out at such an alarming rate too. At least she hadn't suffered for long…"

I grimace slightly and try to channel my inner Kyoko as I gently lift up the chin to get a better look at the cut. "Sorry Celes…" I was expecting to find a huge slash across her neck, but surprisingly enough the cut itself is very small. _"But that doesn't make much sense, right?"_ I wonder, staring at the cut. _"If someone meant to cut your throat, they wouldn't do that… maybe the killer hesitated?"_

" **Wound Size" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

I set her head back to the original position and examine the body as a whole. I grimace when I see what I had feared; Jack's beloved scissors stuck through her wrists. " _But there's something weird about them being here."_

Actually, there are a few somethings weird about them. First and foremost is the fact that they aren't particularly bloody, and they don't look like they've been wiped off either… which means that they were put there after death.

" _Which in Jack's case doesn't make much sense."_ I muse, staring at the scissors. _"She likes to torture her victims right…?"_

" **Post-mortem Wounds" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

That thought leads me to the second strange thing about the scissors: The fact that there are only two. _"All of the crime scene photos in the file show several scissors aside from the ones suspending the victim still stuck in the corpse. So why are there only two if Jack really had done this…?"_

" **Jack's Scissors" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

I step back from the body and sigh. Examining a dead body up close is much more nerve wracking that one would think. _"Looking at her body did tell me one thing for certain though… whoever did this is trying to pin it on Jack."_

Granted that they're doing a better job of it than Byakuya had, but there are still too many inconsistencies from her normal style that make it impossible… but this time it's going to be hard to prove it wasn't her.

" _The fact is that the scissors_ _ **are**_ _hers is throwing me off…"_ I frown and bite my cheek. _"How did the killer even manage to get them? Jack keeps such a tight leash on them that it's near impossible-"_

"Yo, Makoto!" I turn around to see Leon waving me over. "Come here a sec will ya?"

I step over the blood trail once again to get to where Leon is standing. "Yeah?"

He scratches his goatee. "Take a look at her body. I thought I was just crazy, but no matter how ya look at it, she's not hung up straight!"

"Not hung up…?" I turn to look at Celes' body. It takes me a minute to get what he means, but he's actually right. One of the arms is pinned higher than the other, leaving the body at a much more awkward angle than if it had been pinned at the same height.

"You see what I mean right?" I nod, and he sighs. "Sorta looks like they had a hard time getting her up there… guess whoever killed her off must not have been that strong. Makes ya wonder what make 'em work up the guts to do it, huh?"

I perk up a little. "I think you may be on to something Leon!"

" **Body's Position" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

I take my e-Handbook and look over all of the clues I had gathered up so far. _"Nothing here looks like it would be super incriminating on its own... but there may be something in Celes' room I can use."_ The fact that she's the victim is surprising, but… maybe she hadn't meant for it to go that way.

* * *

I move as fast as I can without breaking out into a full-blown sprint and make it to her room in a reasonable amount of time. "How am I supposed to get in here though…?" I wonder out loud, staring at her door. I try the knob and to my surprise, it's unlocked.

I push the door open, noting that the lights in the room were still on. "That's weird… did she leave in a hurry or something?"

Looking around the room, there's nothing that sticks out right off the bat. Everything is in its place, with nothing even close to being messy. I frown when I see her room key still on the table. "So… had she never intended to lock her door in the first place? That doesn't make any sense!" It may not be very important, but it doesn't hurt to write it down.

" **Celestia's Open Room" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

"Now… what else can I check? I don't really feel comfortable digging through her belongings, so it's gotta be something that's just laying out…" A spark of inspiration hits me, and I turn to the notepad laying on the shelf. _"That's how she lured Taka in last time, right? Maybe she wrote the killer a note."_

Using the trick I had learned from Kyoko, I grab a pencil and gently shade over the top sheet of the notepad. I can't keep the grin off of my face when I see what's there. _"I knew it!"_

_Meet me in the art room at midnight. There's something I'd like to discuss with you._

_-Celestia Ludenberg_

" _So she had written a note to someone and was waiting in the art room for them?"_ This doesn't tell me what her intentions were, but it should be helpful in some way. I add it into the e-Handbook.

" **Celestia's Note" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

I bite my lip a little, deciding there isn't much else in here for me to look at. _"I gathered up a few more clues, but these don't help the fact that Jack is the prime suspect right now."_ I sigh. _"If Kyoko were here this wouldn't be an issue! She'd have the killer nailed from the beginning...!"_

But she's not here… and if I don't figure out who the killer is on my own, I won't even have a chance at saving her. Steeling myself once more, I wrack my brain for other places I can check. _"Think Makoto! You don't know who killed her, but whoever did it is trying to pin it on Genocide Jack! Now, what can you do to prove that she didn't do it…?"_

I stand in her room and just think for a bit when I'm suddenly jarred from my thoughts by someone barreling into the room. It's Hiro.

"There you are Naegs!" He pants, almost exaggeratedly out of breath. "I was lookin' everywhere for ya! Byakuya just woke up!"

"Really?!" I ask hurriedly. "Is he alright? Did he say anything!?"

He stands straight up, scratching his cheek a little. "Uh… I 'unno really. I sorta just dashed out once he opened his eyes, ya know? Figured you'd wanna know a.s.a.p."

This catches me off guard. "Really? That's pretty considerate of you…"

He shrugs. "Well, in times like these ya gotta be." I can almost swear I hear him mumbling something about favors under his breath, but I choose to ignore it in favor of hurrying to see Byakuya and learning what he knows.

…Not because I'm relieved or anything. Just to interview him.

* * *

I fling the door open and rush into the room, making a b-line for the bed where Byakuya is sitting. "Are you alright?!"

"Does it look like I am?" He bites out, holding the icepack to the back of his head. "Don't be so damn loud!"

"S-Sorry!" I squeak out. "B-But I'm relieved to see that you're not seriously hurt… do you remember anything that had happened?"

"…Nothing that would be of use." He sighs. "I had gone to check out what she was doing so late in the art room. I didn't want her to see me coming just in case, so I had left my e-Handbook in my room. As soon as I opened the door and walked in... I barely caught a glimpse of her before someone knocked me out cold." He lets out a growl of irritation. "To think I'd be caught off guard like that…! I'll crucify them!"

"Hang on." I say, processing his words. "You said the killer caught you off guard right?"

He scowls. "As much as I detest admitting it… yes."

"And you only went because you saw Celes alone?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Tell me where you're going with this Makoto. I'm not in the mood for games."

I sigh. "Doesn't that mean that the killer left their e-Handbook somewhere as well? Since you didn't know they were there…"

Taka, who had stayed quiet until now, nods. "That would be logical to assume… I highly doubt you would have been snuck up on otherwise!"

I open up a new entry in the Truth Bullet section. "Now… Byakuya, can you tell me around what time it was when you got to the art room?"

He answers almost immediately. "It was twelve-forty five."

"I see…" I nod and quickly type up his statement, glad that he's at least in the clear for the time.

" **Byakuya's Account" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

"By the way…" I start, turning to the other three present. "Did any of you see where Jack went after we left the gym?"

Mukuro shakes her head. "No. I'm pretty sure she had left before anyone else though."

"I actually think I may have seen her." Taka says, scratching his chin. "She had gone towards the dorms while the rest of us went to the art room."

"Really?" I ask, frowning. "That's strange… I'm going to see if I can go find her. I don't think we have much time left to investigate, if I'm being honest."

"What makes you say that?" Taka questions. "Monokuma had never specified when we were supposed to stop."

I grimace slightly at Byakuya's pointed look. "Let's just call it intuition… either way, I need to talk to her."

"I'll be going as well then!" Taka yells out. "I'd like to at least take a look at the scene of the crime before this alleged trial starts! Come on Mukuro!" Without waiting for her consent, he walks out of the infirmary, an extremely drained looking Mukuro following close behind him. Just as I'm about to leave, Hiro catches my wrist.

"H-Hey, Makoto… can I talk to you for a sec? It's about Jack…" The expression on his face is a mix between horror and serious. "I really think you need to hear it!"

I shoot him a dubious look, but nod anyway. "Sure…" He leads me out to the hall and stays quiet for a bit before opening his mouth to talk.

"I… think Jack may have been the one to kill Celes."

My eyebrows rocket to my hairline. "H-Huh?"

"I'm serious!" He whispers harshly. "She was creeping around me the entire night! From the nighttime announcement until I finally got away from her, she just kept near me! Following me around, giggling while twirling her scissors in her hands…!" He clutches at his head. "She must have gotten tired of stalking me and decided to kill her instead! I'm totally freaking out right now!"

"Woah, hang on a second Hiro!" I say. "When did she finally leave you alone?"

"I-I don't know…!" He bites at his lip nervously. "I had locked myself in my room when she finally started chasing me down the hall! I think it was like twelve-twenty or something, I dunno! She was banging at my door for like twenty minutes before she finally got bored and walked away! It was almost one by the time I finally calmed down enough to pass out...!" He sighs. "Which was only for like ten minutes, but still!"

My face lights up as he finishes his account. "Hiro… you've given me exactly what I needed! Thank you so much!"

"S-Seriously…?" He questions.

" **Hiro's Account" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

I grin at him. "Completely serious!" I turn away from him and dart down the hall, ready to go and inspect the crime scene one last time. _"There needs to be a clue to the real killer somewhere in there!"_

* * *

When I return to the art room, I'm seriously confused by the scene in front of me. Everyone is gathered in front of where the body is. "What happened?"

Mukuro turns around and waves me over. "Come look…" I push my way through everyone to see the body laying on the floor. "Her corpse came unpinned from the wall somehow."

"Yeah, and scared the living fuck out of me!" Leon shouts, clearly on edge. "God, I turn around for one second…!"

I stop listening though. My focus goes completely on to Celes' back… which is completely clean. _"Like that… she couldn't have been laying face up on the floor when she died! Even if it was clean below her, the blood would have still gotten on her back right? What's more…"_ I whip my head around to the smeared blood on the floor. _"That couldn't have happened if the killer had dragged the body where there wasn't any blood! Which means…"_

"Hey, Makoto? Were you listening?"

I'm jarred out of my thoughts by Chihiro's voice. "H-Huh? Oh, I'm sorry Chihro! What were you saying?"

He shoots me a concerned look before continuing. "I-I had found something in the storage area back there… would you mind coming with me to look at it?" I nod and follow him to the back, where he leads me to a corner. "Here… this mop."

"Mop? What about it?" I question. "Nothing about it seems terribly strange…"

"T-That's what I had thought at first too, but…" He points to the bucket next to said mop. "That water…"

I peer inside the bucket to see the water dyed to the color of blood… the very same blood that's covering the floor now. "Awh, gross!" I pinch my nose and recoil from the bucket. "W-Why the hell!?"

"Y-You saw it too, right?" He says with a frown. "How it looked like someone had tried to wipe up the blood…"

"I did, but… I had thought they'd used the sheet we found in the trash." I say with a frown.

"So did I." He says, thoughtful look on his face. "But they definitely used this mop… a-aside from the water being bloody, the mop head used to be white, but now it's more of a brownish-pink… like it was used to mop up blood."

I bite the inside of my cheek. "That does make sense… but why was that sheet bloody?"

" **Mop and Bucket" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

Before I forget, I quickly add in what I'd found out about the body's position after entering in Chihiro's discovery.

" **Bloody Clothes" has been added to the Truth Bullet section of the e-Handbook.**

"O-Oh, Makoto?" I turn back to him. "This may not be important, but-" He's cut off by a voice coming in through the intercom.

"Okay everyone, the investigation period has finished!" Monokuma cheers. "Please proceed through the red doors on the first floor to the trial room! I'll be waiting!"

I click my tongue as the intercom clicks off. "Damn it…! I really could have used more time to look around!"

Chihiro frowns. "W-Well… there's not much we can do about it. Let's get going."

"Right…"

With a sigh, I quietly set off to those all too familiar red doors. I may not have all the answers right now, but… in the past, did I ever? In the end all I can do is present what I know I have and hope that everything else falls into place.

Otherwise everyone here is going to pay with their lives.


	17. That's Probably a Raw Sewage Container...

Makoto's P.o.V:

I crinkle my nose as I stand in front of the red doors leading to the trial ground. _"I was sincerely hoping that I wouldn't have to come back here…"_

Of course I have to go in. I need to go in there so that we don't die… well, so that _most_ of us don't die.

...Because we'll be sending someone to their death if we catch the killer.

I quickly shake my head. _"I can't think about that right now! Everyone's going to die if I don't do my best! What happens after… is something I'll deal with later."_

I push open those ominous red doors and walk in, noting that everyone else is already here. Even Jack.

"I-It took you long enough, you moron!"

…Or Toko.

I frown over to Byakuya. "She switched back…?"

He nods with a sigh. "At a rather inconvenient time too. This creep doesn't know anything that'll be helpful to us."

An unsettling smile works a way on to her face. "D-Don't call me a creep…"

" _Anyway!"_ I say, pushing past him. "We aren't going to solve anything by standing here…" I glance to the elevator and step inside. "If we're going to find out who killed her… we need to get to the trial ground Monokuma was talking about."

With few words and several suspicious glances, everyone piles into the elevator. The all too familiar clanks and clatters start up as the elevator begins its decent, horribly tense silence filling the air. _"But it's not familiar to anyone else. This is their first time…"_ After what feels like an eternity, the doors finally open to the trial ground.

This time, the décor resembles a cityscape at night… not that that matters a lot. I walk in and take my designated place almost on instinct, everyone else taking a minute to find their place in the circle. While I wait for the trial to begin, I decide to look over all my clues one last time, making sure to edit some of the entries as I go.

**Truth Bullets:**

**White Out-** It makes sense for it to be in the art room, but the tube was empty already…

 **Abnormal Blood Spatter-** There's a trail from where she was dragged to the wall from the main puddle of blood. Aside from the trail, there were certain areas of blood that look like the killer had started to wipe up.

 **Bloody Sheet-** A sheet found in the trash can of the art room. It's coated in blood, but it doesn't look like the killer used it to wipe the floor.

 **Monokuma's Account-** Apparently anyone who was sleeping didn't wake up when the body discovery announcement rang out, so Monokuma had to go and wake each of them up personally.

 **Jack's File-** Genocide Jack's case file from the archive. It was placed a little too obviously in the art room.

 **Wound Size-** The cut on her throat was way too small to be normal. Did the killer hesitate?

 **Post-Mortem Wounds-** The only other wounds on the body were the ones she was pinned to the wall by, and those happened after she'd died.

 **Jack's Scissors-** Jack's real-deal Genoscissors were found at the crime scene, probably to make us think that Jack had killed her. How did the killer get them though?

 **Body's Position-** One of her arms was pinned higher than the other, as if the killer had struggled with the body when hanging it up.

 **Celestia's Open Room-** Celestia's room was left wide open on purpose for some reason. She'd even left the key in there… did she leave in a hurry?

 **Celestia's Note-** Celestia had called someone to the art room at midnight. The motive for the meeting is unclear by the note.

 **Byakuya's Account-** At twelve-forty five, Byakuya had entered the art room to check up on Celestia's suspicious activity. As soon as he went in, he barely registered the body before he was knocked out-cold by a blow to the head.

 **Hiro's Account-** Jack had been following around Hiro for the better part of the night, seemingly stalking him. From twelve-twenty until twelve-forty, Jack had banged mercilessly at his door until she'd grown bored.

 **Mop and Bucket-** They were used to wipe up some of the blood in the art room, with the killer not having even stopped to dispose of the blood.

 **Bloody Clothes-** Celestia's clothes were drenched in blood on the front, but completely clean on the back.

 **Monokuma File #2-** Time of Death: 12:30. Cause of Death: Single slice to the jugular vein.

I click off the Truth Bullet section with a sigh. The truth isn't going to be so obvious this time, but… I can't let it get to me. We've had much less to go off of before… and yet we still somehow managed to find the real killer. I may be on my own this time, and I'm pretty much less than confident…

But I know the truth is going to come out somehow.

…

At least I hope it will.

"Alright kiddies!" Monokuma cheers, breaking me out of my reverie. "Let's begin the class trial! This is where you'll discuss until you can find out whodunit! Once the discussion is over, we'll have a vote to see who you all think is the blackened, or the killer for all you non-literary types!"

"H-How on earth is that literary!?" Toko squeals.

He ignores her and continues. "If you pick the wrong person, the blackened will graduate, and the rest of you will be executed! However, if you do managed to pick out the blackened, they alone will be executed!" He pats his belly and slumps down in his chair. "Now then, get to it kiddies!"

"U-Uhm…" Hina starts, scratching her cheek slightly. "So, how are we supposed to go about this?"

"I have an idea!" Taka yells out. "If you're the killer, please raise your hand!"

I smack my forehead. _"Didn't he say that last time too!?"_

Mondo glares over to the perfect. "Bro, there's no way in hell the killer would just go and do that!"

I sigh. "Alright, maybe we should start at the very beginning… We need to establish how-"

"Hang on a second Makoto." Leon starts, crossing his arms. "Isn't it sort of obvious who the killer is already? Why do we need to talk about it?"

"What are you guys talkin' about?" Mondo says, surprised written clearly on his face.

"That's right!" Hina says. "No matter how you look at it, all the things about the crime scene point to Genocide Jack being the culprit!"

"W-What?!" Toko shrieks. "T-That's not possible!"

"Of course you'd try to defend her innocence!" Hiro yells. "You two are the same person! You're probably in cahoots!"

"I can't even communicate with that psycho!" Toko retaliates. "But I'm telling you nimrods that she wouldn't have killed her! S-She only goes after men we find attractive!"

"You may not have been aware of this…" Taka starts, pointing at the girl. "But that serial killer already stated days ago that she'd make a special exception for one Miss Celestia Ludenberg!"

"Quite right!" Hifumi affirms. "Not to mention that her scissors were found at the scene of the crime!"

"A-A lie!" Toko screeches. "It absolutely has to be a lie!"

"Hang on guys." I say, trying to calm everyone down. "I know that it absolutely looks like Genocide Jack is the killer… but I have my doubts."

"What are you talking about, Makoto!?" Hina yells. "Didn't you look at the file? The crime scene looks exactly the same!"

"I _did_ look at the crime scene Hina." I say, trying not to look as nervous as I feel. "That's exactly why I think Jack didn't do it! There are too many inconsistencies for it to be her!"

"Dude!" Hiro says. "You can't be serious! You're defending that stabby-stalker!? It's totally obvious that it's her!"

Mukuro gets a thoughtful look on her face. "While I agree Jack is definitely the most suspicious at this point… I really think we need to talk about this. If we rush into a vote, we may all very well end up dead."

"And why should we listen to you!?" Leon yells, pointing an accusing finger at Mukuro. "You'd probably love seeing us all go down, that's why you want us to reconsider something so obvious!"

"Now just one moment!" Taka yells. "I feel Mukuro has sufficiently proven that her intentions aren't to get us killed! Why are you doubting her now of all times!?"

Leon raises an eyebrow at him. "So you're saying that you _don't_ think it's Jack?"

"…Well, no, but-"

"But nothing!" Leon yells "It's obvious she's the culprit, so-"

"Hang on guys!" I yell, catching everyone's attention. "If you all just give me a chance to explain, I think I'll be able to prove to all of you that Jack isn't the killer!"

* * *

**Nonstop Debate**

* * *

Leon: "Why are we even still talking about this!? It's obvious that **Jack is the killer**!"

Mukuro: Sometimes the obvious answer isn't the right one…

We may very well get caught in a trap if we aren't careful.

Hiro: As if! You're just trying to **distract us!**

You're just like your cray cray sister!

Toko: I'm telling you Jack couldn't have done it! F-For once, she's actually innocent!

Hina: As if!

Your psychotic other half brutally **tortured and killed** poor Celes, just like the boys in those files! I-

* * *

"Hang on Hina." I say, stopping the girl short. "You said that Celes was tortured, but… the only wounds other than the cut on her throat were on her wrists."

"Well, yeah!" She says, puffing out her cheeks. "I looked at the body! That's why I said she was tortured! I don't think anyone would like it if someone shoved pointy scissors through their wrists!"

"Ordinarily I'd agree, but take a look at this." I pull up the photo of her wrist I had snapped. "There's no blood coming out of these wounds… which means they happened after she died."

"E-Eh?" Hina squeaks. "Couldn't the killer have just wiped the blood off?"

I shake my head. "You'd still be able to see the blood smears on her wrists."

"Okay, that's all well and good," Leon starts, scratching his head. "She could have just been in a hurry to off her. That doesn't mean that she didn't kill her!"

"That's true…" I look toward him, keeping my gaze steady. "But there are still several things that point to her innocence!"

* * *

**Nonstop Debate**

* * *

Sakura: While it is true that Jack hadn't tortured Celestia…

The fact still remains that she's the likely suspect at this point.

Hiro: Seriously Naegs, ya gotta consider the whole scene! No matter how you look at it, it's **Jack's handiwork**!

Chihiro: Y-You all sound so certain that it's her…

Leon: Of course we do! Did you not see the file in there?

Chihiro: I had, but…

Hiro: If you'd looked, you woulda seen that those scenes were **total bloodbaths!**

* * *

A thought occurs to me as he says this, and I hold up my hand for him to stop. "Hiro, you're right. All of Jacks previous crime scenes were completely bloody."

He grins over to me. "I knew you'd get it-"

"But!" I say, cutting him off. "That's not the case here!" I pull up the image of the mop and bucket from the storage room. "The killer had used these in an attempt to clean up the scene of the crime, which Jack has never, ever done in the past. There was no reason for her to try and clean up anything!"

Mondo snorts. "I don't even get why someone would try! You sure that wasn't jus' paint in the bucket?"

I nod with a grimace. "I leaned in to look at it and caught a whiff. That was definitely blood."

Hiro scratches his head. "I 'unno man… why are we even debating why she did this? She's crazy! Maybe it was a whim of hers or somethin'!"

"No." I say with a shake of my head. "Serial killers like Jack are normally extremely methodical… they keep a routine, and they stick with it. Look:" I direct everyone's attention to several pages in the file I had taken pictures of. "In every single one of these photos, there are several factors that are exactly the same. Why would she possibly break her modus operandi this one time?"

Hina frowns and tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. "Modus who-ate-the-what now?"

Sakura sighs, fond smile on her face. "It's like a routine Hina. He means that she had a very specific way of killing off her victims, one that she'd never broken before."

"Oh, okay!" She says, nodding in understanding. "So… what would be a reason for her to break her modus?"

"I may know one!" Taka yells out. He then turns and points to Byakuya. "And it's because of him!"

* * *

**Nonstop Debate**

* * *

Taka: There's obviously one reason that Genocide Jack would break her routine…

And it's because of **him!**

Byakuya: Come again?

Taka: Mr. Togami… please tell everyone here what happened!

Byakuya: …Very well. I had entered the art room at **twelve-forty five** to check out Celestia's suspicious behavior…

When I got inside, I barely saw Celestia before I was knocked unconscious.

Taka: If we take this into consideration…

Then we can assume Genocide Jack **knocked out** Byakuya Togami, a.k.a her White Knight, in order to protect him!

Mondo: How the fuck does knocking him out protect him!?

Taka: It's simple! She'd have to kill him if he saw her **in the middle of killing** Celes!

* * *

"But Taka!" I yell out, cutting him off. "You forgot what time the killing actually occurred! It says clearly in the Monokuma File that she died right at twelve-thirty!"

He deflates visibly. "To have forgotten such a detail…!" He smacks his head on the rail. "Someone hit me!"

Leon scrunches up his nose. "Can we not?!"

"I would also like to avoid that if at all possible." Sakura sighs. "We have much more important issues to address."

"A-Agreed…" Chihiro says, slightly off-put by his request.

"Right, so back to business." I sigh. "I'm going to say this again: Jack is absolutely not the killer."

"I'm still not entirely convinced bro…" Mondo says with a frown. "I mean sure, ya brought up some good points n' all, but the fact is that it really does sorta resemble what she does."

"I know it resembles it…" I glance over to Toko. "But that's all it does: it _resembles_ her crimes. It doesn't look to me that she'd even been in the art room!"

"C'mon already Makoto! You're just dragging this out! No matter how you spin it, there's no definitive proof that Jack didn't do it!" Leon gripes.

" _No, that's not right!"_ I quickly scan the clues in my handbook. _"Because he definitely knows that she didn't do it!"_

"Hiro…" I start. "Could you please tell everyone what you had told me earlier? About Toko following you around?"

"H-Huh? Sure I guess… So, basically Jack was chasing me around from the time the nighttime announcement rang out until I finally got away from her." He scratches his chin slightly as he says this.

"Which was when?" I prod.

"Around twelve-twenty, I'm pretty sure." He says with a nod. I wave him on, and he continues after a moment. "So, basically after that she spent the next twenty-minutes or so banging on the door, until she finally got bored and left me alone!" He frowns at me. "I 'unno why you wanted me to say that thought Naegs. I mean, we already know it's her-"

"Hiro." I say with a sigh. "Check your times."

He snaps his jaw shut and gets a thoughtful look on his face. "Err…" He starts looking at his hands, apparently counting.

…

Mondo scowls. "You gotta be shitting me."

"Carry the seven…"

Hina looks ready to double over with laughter. "H-He can't be serious right?"

"Divide it in half…"

"You pea-brained little-!" Byakuya looks ready to lay into him, but somehow manages not to flip his lid.

…

After several more uncomfortable minutes, a look of pure shock crosses over Hiro's face. "T-That means… there's no way she could have done it?!"

Mukuro sighs. "Finally…"

"Exactly my point Hiro." I say after a moment of zoning out. "Using the times you'd given us, if Jack had truly been banging at your door for twenty minutes… then there's no way she could have killed Celes."

"Which means… Makoto had been right from the very beginning." Sakura says, shooting me a slightly apologetic look.

"It's good that we're talking this out." Mukuro says with a nod. "Now then-"

"Hold on just a fucking minute!"

All heads turn toward Leon, who's absolutely _fuming_. "You can't seriously be taking what that idiot said seriously! Did you see him counting on his damn fingers!?"

"Hey!" Hiro says, puffing his cheeks out at him. "I was just being thorough!"

"You were just remembering the time doofus!" He smacks his forehead. "We can't seriously be considering this!"

"Leon…" I say with a frown. "I know you think it's her… but there's just no way it was. I'll prove it to you once and for all!"

* * *

**Nonstop Debate**

* * *

Leon: I can't believe you idiots seriously think that he **knows what he's talking about!**

Hiro: Hey! I resemble that remark!

Hifumi: I do believe the term is "resent" Mr. Hagakure.

Hiro: Whatever! The point is that, as super weird as it is, Jack couldn't have done it!

Leon: Did you morons not see the file!?

Mukuro: I'm pretty sure the killer had left that as **bait** for us.

They wanted us to make us think that it was her so that they wouldn't be discovered.

Leon: Okay, so let's assume for a second that she didn't kill Celes…

How the hell do we explain **those creepy scissors** stuck through her wrists!?

* * *

I snap my fingers. "That's just it! Like Mukuro said, they were left their as bait!"

Taka crosses his arms. "It _would_ be rather difficult to say she didn't do it if the murder weapon belonged to her…"

"But no one would have been able to get those scissors from her!" Hina says with a frown. "How did the killer manage to get their grubby mitts on them?"

"Let's face it…" Leon says with a sigh, having deflated a bit. "No one other than Jack had access to those scissors."

"… _No, wait! There definitely was one other person who could have had them!"_ I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Guys… Celes probably brought those scissors there herself." I say after a moment.

"C-Celes!?" Chihiro shrieks, looking absolutely mortified. "How could Celes have had them?"

"Think back… there were two different times that Jack had thrown her scissors toward Celes." I hold up one finger. "The first is when she had introduced herself to all of you…" I hold up another. "And the second time was yesterday when Celes wasn't letting us get out of the gym!"

"So what?" Leon says with a huff. "That crazy broad throws scissors at everyone!"

"I'm not denying that…" I say with a frown. "But yesterday Celes pocketed them on her way out of the gym. Now I hadn't seen her do it the first time, but the fact of the matter is that there are only two pairs of scissors stuck in her body. Now then, take a close look at the crime scene photos again." I pull it up and point out the picture for emphasis. "Each of these bodies has several pairs of scissors stuck in them, and yet there are only two this time."

Mukuro frowns. "Thinking about it… that's most likely why the body fell off the wall."

"What do you mean?" Hina questions.

"Her body weight was probably too much for only two pairs of scissors to hold up." She makes an odd sort of motion as she talks, probably to help her visualize the body. "If there were more scissors holding her up however, then the body wouldn't have come un-pinned."

"Which is not a mistake a seasoned killer like Jack would have made." Sakura finishes, slightly stunned. "Impressive…"

Leon looks shocked to his core. "So… you're saying for a fact that Celes is the one who brought the scissors to the crime scene!? That's insane…!"

"Damn straight it is!" Mondo growls. "Why the fuck would she have done something like that!?"

A look of realization passes over Mukuro's features. She glances over to me, mouthing a single phrase. No one seems to notice through their yelling, but I manage to catch it.

" _Like last time…?"_

I huff a little, not answering her directly. "Guys… I think Celestia may have been planning a murder on her own."

All the chatter around the circle stops immediately as people snap their gazes to meet mine. Byakuya simply scowls, but everyone else has varying degrees of shock and horror written on their faces.

"S-So… that's why she had brought the scissors with her? So that she could kill someone else…?" Chihiro asks in disbelief. He schools his expression after a moment, same look of realization passing over his features as it had for Mukuro. "…It makes sense."

Hina frowns and bites her cheek a little. "I don't think she would have! There must have been some other reason!"

"No, I'm certain of it." I say with a quick shake of my head. "There's no other explanation!"

* * *

**Nonstop Debate**

* * *

Hina: Makoto, you can't be serious!

There's no way Celes would kill one of us!

Toko: A-Are you kidding!? She was the **most likely** to kill someone out of all of us!

Mukuro: Said the kettle about the pot…

Hina: I can't believe that she'd go and do that!

Plus, who could she possibly kill in the **middle of the night!?**

Sakura: Maybe she had **lured** someone there?

Hina: Sakura, I can't believe you're buying this!

There's **no way** that she'd have been able to do that!

* * *

I shoot a sympathetic frown over to the swimmer. "Hina… I'm sorry to say this, but that's exactly what she did. Take a look at this…" I pull up the note I'd found in Celes' room.

"Meet me in the art room at midnight…" Sakura reads out loud. "Suspicious indeed…"

Leon scratches his chin thoughtfully. "So, whoever got this note killed her?"

I nod with a sigh. "It would make sense…"

"Alright then!" He yells out. "Everyone, empty your pockets!"

"Why?" Mondo asks, irritated.

"So we can find out who the killer is, ding-dong!" He says, grabbing miscellaneous things out of his coat pocket.

I shrug and start digging through my own. I pull out a pen cap, and old gum wrapper, some lint, and a tiny rock. _"Where did that come from?"_

Everyone else begrudgingly does the same. Chihiro had the least on him because he was in his pajamas, while it looked like Hiro kept his entire OOP artifact collection in his pants. Everyone had some questionable things laying in their pockets…

But no one had the note.

Taka frowns. "I suppose we should have assumed the killer would have disposed of it…"

Hina hugs herself slightly. "So how are we supposed to tell who the killer is?"

"I think we should just talk it out guys." Mukuro bites her lip slightly. "We don't really have much else to go on at this point."

"A good idea…" Byakuya says, pushing up his glasses. "We need to establish alibis for everyone. I'm certain that the killer won't have one."

Mondo snorts. "Lotsa people here won't! It was late, most of em were prolly sleeping!"

"That's true…" I say with a sigh. "But we have nothing else to go on at this point!"

* * *

**Nonstop Debate**

* * *

Mukuro: Let's start by establishing where we were at the time of the murder…

I was sitting in **Taka's room** with him.

Mondo: Nice going, bro!

Taka: It wasn't anything unseemly!

We simply couldn't leave her on her own!

Byakuya: So those two are clear… what about you, cretin?

Mondo: I was with your man Makoto! We were the ones to **discover her body,** numbnuts!

Toko: A-Apparently Jack was **stalking the bum** … not that I have any idea why.

Sakura: I was in my room getting ready to sleep.

Chihiro: I was sleeping too… pretty soundly, apparently.

Hifumi: As was I! I must say it was a shock to **hear that announcement** so late!

* * *

My breath catches. "…Hifumi. You're… lying, aren't you?"

He tenses. "Whatever do you mean Mr. Naegi?"

I clutch the rail in front of me. "You said you were woken up by that announcement… but Hifumi," I gesture toward Monokuma, shooting him the hardest look I can manage. "Monokuma had told both me and Chihiro that he had to go and wake everyone up who was asleep personally!"

"That's right!" Monokuma cheers from his seat. "I was personally offended you know…almost sleeping through your class trial! You all need Jesus!"

"I-I…" Hifumi starts to shake a little, but quickly schools himself. "I simply misspoke! He had definitely come for me, because I had gone right back to sleep after hearing the announcement!"

"No… it makes sense now!" I say, pointing over to him. "Earlier, you had said you couldn't turn away and pretend it didn't happen… I had thought it was because you were grieving over the loss of a friend, but that's not the case, right?"

"Makoto, what are you talking about!?" Hina screeches. "This is Hifumi! There's no way he could have done this, no way in heck!"

"No Hina… he's the only one who could have done this." I say with a frown. "And I'll prove it to you all right now!"

* * *

**Nonstop Debate**

* * *

Hina: I absolutely refuse to believe that Hifumi did this to her! They were just **so close**!

Byakuya: Look at the facts bubble brain!

He's the only one who **doesn't have an alibi**!

Hina: I don't either! I could have just as easily done it!

Byakuya: So you're saying that you're going to take the fall for him?

Hina: N-Not at all!

All I'm saying is that we shouldn't accuse him of all people!

There's no way he could have possibly **cut Celes' throat out!**

* * *

"That's just it Hina!" I yell. "Her throat wasn't cut out! It was such a small cut… that it makes me think he hesitated in doing it!"

"H-Hesitated!?" She squeaks. "But-"

"There's another reason why we can say it's probably him…" I say, cutting her off. "Remember the body's position? One of the arms was pinned higher than the other…"

"So what?!" She yells.

"The killer struggled with the body… which means they weren't particularly strong." I say with a sigh. "Look, Hina-"

"Don't you "Look Hina" me!" She bellows, pointing at me. "How can you say this!? How can you say all these awful things!? All of your proof is circumstantial, there's nothing solid here! Not one, tiny thing!"

I'm about to open my mouth to talk, but she cuts me off. "He and Celestia were best friends!"

"Not when she's trying to kill him!"

"Just look at him! There's no way!"

"Except there is!"

"You're just a bully Makoto!"

"I'm trying to find out the truth!"

"Why can't you just stop…!?"

"Because I can't, Hina!"

"Shut up, shut up!"

"Hina, please!"

She takes a deep breath, and glares hard at me through tear-filled eyes. "If you're so certain that he's the killer, then why isn't there any **physical evidence**!?"

"Because he used the white out!"

…

"W-What…?" She breathes after a moment.

"Hina… think about it like this for a second. Because there wasn't any blood on her back, but there still _was_ a blood trail on the floor… which means she was dragged with her body facing the killer. There's no way he couldn't have gotten blood on him." I bite my cheek and look away from her.

"T-The killer could have just been really careful! I-I mean, they probably ran back to their room to change!"

"Think about it Hina!" I say. "If your panicking, afraid that someone is going to see you covered in blood, what are you going to do? Try to get it off, or hide it! And look!" I gesture to Hifumi, whose grey sweater is littered with blotches of white. "He's covered in it!"

She rapidly shakes her head. "B-But Byakuya was knocked unconscious! You said yourself that Hifumi isn't very strong, so there's no way he could have done that!"

"A-Actually…" Chihiro starts, looking ready to cry himself. "There was a way for him to do that…"

"W-What…?" She says, tears streaking down her face.

"I had meant to bring this up earlier, but the handle of the mop… well, take a look for yourself." He displays a picture he had taken to us, which turns out to be the handle of the mop… covered in a white gunk.

Sakura's eyes widen. "With something that hard… it wouldn't be difficult to knock someone out if you hit the correct spot."

Hina grinds her teeth. "Just stop it! Stop! I refuse to believe Hifumi did this, I can't-" She's panicking now, frantically trying to rationalize this. "I-I mean, he's a comic artist! It's not weird for him to be covered in white out-"

"Ms. Asahina… it's alright."

All heads whip to Hifumi, who has the saddest smile I've ever seen on his face. "I'm so happy that you believed in me so… but I'll confess. I am the murderer of Celestia Ludenberg."

"What…? No!" She says, shaking her head. "I can't-!"

"You bastard!" Mondo yells. "What the fuck…! How could you just causally admit that you killed her!?"

"Please… allow me to explain." He says, looking steadily at the ground. "Master Celes had called me to the art room with the very note Mr. Naegi had shown you all… She had shown me the scissors, and the file on our dear Genocide Jack… and she wanted me to help her commit murder and frame it on her."

The air in the room is tense with not a single person letting a breath out. He continues after a moment, his entire body shaking. "I-I had told her I didn't want to be a part of it, that she wasn't thinking straight! I-I had tried so desperately to make her stop, but she insisted! She tried forcing one of the pairs of scissors into my hand! A-And, oh god, I-"

He drops to his knees. He's openly sobbing, pounding the floor with his fist. "I shoved her hand away! I shoved it so hard that it jerked back and she accidently sliced her throat with those god-forsaken scissors! I had thought it was only a small wound at first, but they-" He lets out a choked sob. "Those stupid scissors cut so deep! Blood just started gushing out, and she was clutching her neck so tightly…!"

My heart hits my stomach as something dawns on me. "Then… that bloody sheet?"

He shakes his head, tears flooding out of his eyes. "I had tried so desperately to save her! But the blood… i-it wouldn't stop! I put so much pressure on her neck that I had thought for sure it would help, but in the end… I couldn't even help her! The look in her eyes… she was pleading for it to end Mr. Naegi! She was in so much pain, watching the blood pool underneath her…! Watching her very life drain out of her body! And… it was all my fault!"

The entire room goes silent aside from Hifumi's open sobbing. Suddenly, Hina yells out.

"Hifumi!" She rushes over to him. "Tell me it's not true! Tell me it's a lie, please, just say it!"

He forces a smile on his face, just for her. "I can't bring myself to lie to someone as kind and beautiful as you are Ms. Asahina…"

"Hina…" I say, looking at her as she sobs openly next to Hifumi. "Please… If I lay it out for you… will you believe him?" She looks up at me with tear-filled eyes, silently pleading for me to stop. "I'm sorry Hina… but this is probably how it went down…"

I take a deep breath. "Celestia had left her room early enough to go to the library and pick up Genocide Jack's file from the archive. She's able to make it to the art room before the designated waiting time and greets Hifumi there with a smile. For the next half-hour or so, she attempts to convince him to help her commit murder and blame it on Genocide Jack, using the information in the file and the two scissors she'd collected."

I let out a shaky sigh. "But… Hifumi didn't want any part of it, and wholeheartedly refused. Finally growing fed up she had tried to force the scissors in his hand, not at all expecting the events that would follow… He shoved her away, trying to prove to her that he wasn't going to join in, but ended up accidentally causing her to slice her own throat just deep enough to hit a major artery…"

"As she falls to her knees, clutching her throat, Hifumi yanked a sheet off of one of the statues in an attempt to stunt the bleeding… but with the rate of the blood flow, she was dead within minutes. In a hurry, he quickly dragged her still-warm body over to the wall and clumsily pinned it up with the scissors in an effort to keep himself from being discovered."

I pause for a moment to collect myself. "After replicating Jack's work to the best of his abilities, he began trying to clean himself off. He covered the bloodstains on his shirt and sweater with the white out and, without cleaning it off his hands, grabbed the mop and started trying to wipe the blood up."

"But… he wasn't counting on Byakuya showing up. Byakuya didn't notice his presence, instead focusing on Celestia's dead body. He took the opportunity to knock him out cold, but quickly abandoned trying to clean up the scene, instead shoving the bloody bucket into the storage room and leaving the scene as fast as he could."

I look down on the floor, feeling tears pooling in my own eyes. "Does that about sum it up… Hifumi?"

He stands from his place on the floor and gently helps Hina to her feet, who can't stop crying at this point. "Ah… I suppose so Mr. Naegi."

"Oh good!" Monokuma cheers, ignoring the mood of the room. "So you've come to a decision no? I'm glad! Now then, if you'll all just cast your votes…"

It takes a minute, but we manage to convince Hina to place her vote. Once it's all done, the large slot machine in the corner starts spinning. All three slots land on Hifumi's face, bright lights and noises ringing out.

We were right.

* * *

**Trial: END**

* * *

"Hifumi…" I start, looking over to the boy. "Why… did you try to pin it on Jack?"

"I was scared." He says simply. "I was afraid to die… but I'm not anymore. I couldn't let you all die because of something I did, so I stopped arguing against you. I knew you'd be smart enough to figure it out!" He finishes with a strong nod, but I can see his hands shaking even now. "Thank you for catching me Mr. Naegi! I must say that I'm ashamed that I had tried to get away with it at all…"

"H-Hang on Monokuma, or Junko, or whoever!" Hina yells out, expression on her face between livid and sheer depression. "I-It was an accident! He didn't mean to kill her!"

"I know, I know!" He says waving her off, ignoring being called by his (her?) true name. "It's super disappointing, but Hifumi Yamada is in fact Celestia Ludenberg's reluctant killer! I would have liked to see a little more initiative myself, but eh! A kill is a kill after all!"

"But you shouldn't kill the fucker for that!" Mondo yells out. "He didn't disturb shit here!"

"On the contrary Mr. Owada, he absolutely needs to die! Accident or no, one must pay for causing such a calamity!" Monokuma says, scratching his belly slightly. "If you accidentally kill someone with your car, you still go to jail for murder! How is this any different?"

Hina looks like her world is about to cave in. "But it wasn't a car! Please… please, just don't-"

She cuts herself off and looks up to Hifumi, who had placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, Ms. Asahina, Mr. Owada… it's fine."

"It's not fine!" Chihiro says, crying now as well. "You didn't want to kill her!"

"No, I didn't Mr. Fujisaki… but I did anyway." He says with a rueful smile. "I'm afraid it'll cause problems if you all fight her too much on this, so… I will accept my fate." He turns to Hina. "Ms. Asahina… please don't be sad for me. I appreciate that you believed in me this entire time… please, don't forget that you all were my friends… my dear, dear friends."

He turns to walk away, but she grabs his hand and pulls him into a hug, visibly shaking.

"A-hem!" Monokuma says, tapping his paw. "This is taking too long, can we please wrap this up!?"

When Hina shows no signs of letting go, Hifumi beckons me over. I walk over and he gently unwraps her arms from around his body, placing one of her hands in my own as he backs away from us.

He turns back to us. "Please, everyone… don't let this happen again. Let my death be a beacon that keeps you from straying onto the path of despair…"

"Blah blah blah!" Monokuma says. "Now! I've prepared a very special punishment for the Ultimate Fanfic Creator!"

Hina clutches my hand tightly and buries her face in my shoulder. I place a hand on her head, knowing it's best for her not to watch this.

"Let's give it everything we got!" Monokuma yells out. "It'sssss… ** _punishment time_**!" Producing a gavel from behind his back, he smacks the red button that had appeared in front of him.

* * *

**GAME OVER**

**Hifumi has been found guilty.**

**Time for the punishment!**

* * *

A chain shoots out of nowhere and hooks itself around Hifumi's torso, pulling him out of the trial room. The next thing I know the large screen in the room flickers to life, reading one ominous phrase.

**PUDGY PRINCESS PIGGLES V.S. MOBILE SUIT HIFUMI**

Hifumi appears on-screen clad in a mecha suit seemingly designed to fit his body. Monokuma produces a joystick from behind him and starts to control Hifumi as several metal Princess Piggles appear before him. Hifumi, unable to control his actions, grits his teeth as he fights the numerous robots. They land blow after blow on him but in the end he somehow ends up destroying them all. Monokuma lets out a sickening laugh as he presses the button on the top of the joystick, causing a gigantic Princess Piggle robot to appear in front of Hifumi. The robot begins to charge a beam from its mouth and Hifumi squirms and struggles to move in an effort to escape, but he knows it's futile. Hifumi closes his eyes tightly shut just as the beam launches, incinerating him on contact.

* * *

I can't help the tears that streak down my face as I try to console Hina, who's sobbing uncontrollably as she clutches me tightly to her. Hifumi may have had a warped view on life, but… he was absolutely our friend.

One that absolutely didn't deserve to die.

"Goddamn it!" Mondo yells out, punching the wall. "Why the fuck…!? Damn it lardo, why didja have to get involved with that bitch goth?!"

"Huh?" Monokuma asks, tilting his head to the side innocently. "Why are you blaming the victim for this? He's the one who killed her."

Hina tears herself away from me and glares hard at the bear. "Fuck you! Fuck fuck, fuck you! It's all her fault and you _know_ it!" She's absolutely livid, cursing in a way that's completely out of character. "You killed him for something she was planning to do to someone else!"

"So, are you saying that he should have been excused because you liked him better than her? How absolutely awful!" He says flippantly, giggling slightly. "How could you be so mean to a friend… one who's dead no less! I'm sad to call you my students!"

"Anyone who plots to kill someone is not a friend!" Sakura yells out. "What Hifumi had done is something he never intended to do, and he'd shown the greatest amount of regret possible as soon as he'd come clean!"

Monokuma shrugs. "It's like a criminal repenting in prison. In the end you don't actually know if he regretted it or not, now do you? He could have just been faking it!"

"I believe him." I say. "There's no way he was lying about that! I won't let you try to make any of us think otherwise!"

He lets out a melodramatic sigh and hops off his high chair. "Yeah whatever. This has gotten so boring… blind faith in a friend, peh!" He then disappears without another word.

"Little fucker left as soon as shit got inconvenient!" Leon yells out in disbelief.

I walk back over to Hina and grab her shoulder lightly. "Hina…" Before I can say anything else, she latches on to me, still sobbing.

"M-Makoto…" She whimpers. "W-Why?"

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that she's not just talking about what had just happened. "…I don't know Hina. Sometimes these things happen without a reason…"

"I hate it…" She cries. "I hate it so, so much… why us? Why here? Why did this have to happen…?"

I don't say anything more as she clings to me for the simple reason that I don't have an answer I can give her. The fact of the matter is that, even if I was honest about what had happened, it still wouldn't be a viable answer as to _why_ any of this happened. Junko's reasons for starting this are pure nonsense to me, and probably to anyone else that isn't her… so I stand there and rub her back as she sobs.

" _The most difficult question anyone can ever ask in this sort of situation… is why."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know this was kinda obvious, bahaha. Looking back on it now there were so many ways I could have made it better, but I just don't have the heart to destroy my first shaky attempts at writing out a mystery.


	18. Leap Before You Think!

Makoto's P.o.V:

After a while of Hina sobbing, she pries herself off of me and wipes at her eyes. "…I'm really sorry Makoto. I got you all wet…"

I smile at the girl and shake my head. "Hey, it's just clothes! They'll dry eventually."

"R-Right…" She says, forcing a smile. "Can we please leave now?"

"I see no point in staying here longer." Byakuya states blandly.

Everyone is quiet as we pile into the elevator. I can't help but feel like something isn't quite right, so I pull out my e-Handbook and go over the clues from the trial. Sure enough, something is weird: we never actually found out why Celes had left her room open.

" _Does it really matter, though?"_ I think with a frown. _"Hifumi is already dead… we passed the trial. What good does it do worrying about something like this?"_

Even as I think that however, I really can't shake the feeling that it was something important.

The elevator stops with a clatter as we reach the first floor of the school. We all file out, stopping in front of the stairwell. "Should we… explore right now?" Chihiro ventures.

"It's pretty early still…" Mukuro says, glancing to one of the clocks. It's currently five in the morning. "It would probably be best if we all go get some rest. I'd hate to think what would happen if we weren't all of sound mind and we ran into something unpleasant."

With various forms of assent coming from the majority of the people present, we all set off toward the dorms. I hang towards the back of the group, with Mukuro slowing down to match my pace.

"I saw you looking at you e-Handbook in there." She whispers. "Mind sharing what's on your mind?"

I nod, keeping my gaze forward. "There was something I'd written down that we didn't really discuss… that Celes' room looked like it had been left open intentionally."

"So?" She questions. "It's over now anyway…"

"I know that. But…" I sigh. "There's this little part of me that's screaming it's important somehow. I was thinking of going back for a look once everyone went back to bed."

A contemplative frown graces her features. "…Let me go with you then. If it's bothering you this much, then I'd like to help as much as I can."

I nod. "If you want to, it's fine by me." I sigh. "I really hope it's me just being paranoid. I don't think I can take any more curve balls at this point."

* * *

After a good five minutes of begging, I was able to convince Taka that it would be alright for Mukuro to come back to my room with me. Once we're certain that everyone else is safe in their rooms... we make a b-line to Celestia's room. I open the door and hurriedly wave Mukuro inside before closing it as quietly as I can.

"I don't know why you put in the effort to do that." Mukuro says with a yawn. "The rooms are sound-proof after all…"

I blush a little. "…R-Right."

She glances around the room. "So… you said it was open when you'd come by?"

I nod. "I had thought she may have just forgotten to lock it, but look:" I point to the table. "Her key is still here. I just thought it was funny that she wouldn't even have taken it with her."

"…That is strange." Mukuro says, walking over to the key. "Very strange." She picks it up and examines it. "It's one thing to not lock a door and still have your key… but to forget it completely?"

"So you think it's odd too, right?" I sigh. "Well… let's take a look around at the very least. If we don't find anything we can just write it off as her being either cocky or in a hurry."

We set to work searching our departed friend's room. Mukuro doesn't seem to hold my reservations about going through her drawers and such, as she immediately sets to work looking through everything she can reach. After a good while, I sigh.

"I… don't think we're going to find anything."

Mukuro rolls her injured shoulder slightly in discomfort. "At this point I'm inclined to agree, maybe we should just-"

I raise an eyebrow at her sudden stop. "What's wrong?"

"Makoto, right there…" She points to the floor immediately next to the chair I'm standing by. "Do you see something long and silver?"

"Long and…?" I squat down and squint at the floor. Sure enough, there's something that looks like a silver thread sitting on the floor. As I pick it up though, I realize it's not a piece of thread.

It's hair.

I carefully pick it up off of the floor, grimacing as I do. "This is…?"

Mukuro walks over and examines it. "…It looks like a hair off of Sakura's head."

"What would Sakura have been doing in Celestia's room, though?" I wonder out loud. "I mean, I know she didn't come in here to investigate 'cause she was guarding the art room…"

"…" Mukuro is quiet for a beat. "Could she have been… helping Celes?"

My breath catches. "That's…!"

We fall into an uneasy silence. Mukuro was aware of Sakura being her sister's pawn even before I told her about what had happened last time. From what she told me though, she was just as unwilling as last time to help.

"Why… would she?" I wonder. "I mean… your sister could have ordered her to, but I really feel like she would have put up a lot larger of a fight!"

"Regardless of her motives…" Mukuro sighs. "I think we can say decisively that she had a hand in what happened here tonight, even if it was something small."

"…" I frown. "So… what do we do?"

"Good question." She bites her cheek a little. "If we told the others what we found, who's to say they'd believe us? Me especially…"

"…Maybe we should just sleep on it." I groan and run a hand through my hair. "God, this would be so much easier if Kyoko were here…!"

"There's not much else we can do…" Mukuro sighs and starts toward the door. "Maybe we can think of something in the morning. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."

I nod and follow her out. "So… I'll take the floor. I don't want you sleeping anywhere weird with that injury."

"What are you talking about?" She laughs a little as we walk inside my room. "We're sleeping in the same bed."

I choke on nothing and pretty much slam the door behind me. "W-What?"

She rolls her eyes. "It's not like you're going to do anything… I hardly imagine you as the unfaithful type."

"W-Well, yeah, but…" I know my face is pink by the way she giggles.

"Look, I'd like to think we've established some sort of friendship by now… I don't have an issue sharing a sleep space with someone I can trust." She blushes a little. "Not to mention… I honestly feel a lot more comfortable sleeping with you than with… well, you know."

Oh, I do… which makes it impossible to keep a grin off of my face. "Oh ho… so you were going to sleep together?"

"H-He was going to sleep on the floor!" She squeaks out. "I-I mean, I didn't _want_ him to-" I snort, and her face burns brighter. "Not in that way! I didn't want to take his bed from him! But… I couldn't bring myself to ask him up there with me… so we just ended up talking until that all happened."

"Like he would have even gone up there with you!" I laugh, kicking off my shoes. "He's the Ultimate Moral Compass after all!"

She grumbles something unintelligible as she takes off her shoes in gets in bed. I slide in next to her, feeling a lot calmer about it after talking. By the time I've pulled up the covers, I notice that she's already out-cold.

I shake my head and lay my head down next to her, sleep taking me faster than I'd expected.

* * *

The morning announcement rings out mercilessly as my sleep-deprived brain is jolted to consciousness. I sit up with a groan; this is the first time I've ever had such little sleep after a bunch of stress.

"…geh." Mukuro sit's up next, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sis really is a stickler for these rules of hers… she was up just as late as us, and yet she still goes and does this!"

I grab my clothes and head into the bathroom to change. "Yeah well… I say we go back to sleep after we go and meet with the others. It's not like we have anything important to do…"

It only takes me a moment to change and I walk back out, pulling on my shoes without bothering to tie them. I lock my door behind me as we head toward Mukuro's room so that she can get changed as well.

"Need any help?" I question.

She shakes her head. "I'll be fine. Taka had grabbed a lot more of this shirt and piled them into my room, so I think I'll manage getting dressed on my own."

I nod and lean up against the wall as she heads in. I almost end up falling asleep, but I'm startled awake by the door across from me opening; it's Chihiro.

"Morning, Makoto…" He manages, stifling a yawn.

"Hey Chihiro." I sigh. "Sleep well?"

"For how short it was, yes…" He frowns. "I just hope Hina is okay… I-I bet she didn't sleep at all."

"I hope she did." I grumble. "She took what had happened really hard…"

"Yeah…" He looks towards her room. "Do you think we should go and check on her?"

I nod. "It wouldn't hurt." We take the short trip over to her room, and I hit the buzzer.

It takes only a moment for a drained looking Hina to appear from behind the door, hair flowing loosely around her shoulders. "Oh… hey guys."

"Hina, are you okay?" Chihiro ventures. "W-Well, I know you're not _okay,_ but…"

She shakes her head. "I'm alright, considering all the stuff that happened… but now I'm even more determined to get out of here as fast as I can!"

She says this… but her eyes are dim. It doesn't take a scientist to see that she's feeling a little defeated. "Hina…" I start. "Hifumi would be sad if you were down because of him, you know."

"I do know that…" She retorts. "But it's hard! We're leaving behind another friend. I… don't want anyone else to die Makoto, but I can't shake this feeling I have in my gut that someone else _is_ gonna die."

"Hina… I'm going to be honest." I say, looking her dead in the eye. "I can't promise that other people won't make a mistake and kill someone. The only thing we can do is make sure that it isn't us who makes or falls victim to that mistake. The more people who have hope that we can make it out of here on our own terms, the better."

"N-Not to mention…" Chihiro starts fiddling with his skirt. "We aren't leaving them behind. The only way we'd be doing that is if we forgot about them… but I'm not going to, and I know for a fact no one else here will either. We'll carry their deaths with us as we move on… because that's all we can do at the end of the day."

She looks steadily downward for a moment before I see some semblance of a spark in those pretty blue eyes of hers. "You two are completely right." She smacks her cheeks. "I can't get down, not now! Once we get out of here, we absolutely need to hold a memorial for him- no for everyone!" She nods to herself. "'Cause… even though some of them killed people, and others were planning to… they were still our friends! If we weren't in this dumb situation, they wouldn't have died!"

I smile at the perky girl. "That's the spirit Hina!"

She pulls us both into a hug, practically smothering Chihiro in her breasts. "Awh, you guys are the best! Thanks for reminding me of the obvious!"

"I see that you're all lively this morning." I glance back from Hina's bone-crushing hug to see Sakura looking at us with a gentle smile on her face.

"Sakura!" Hina lets go of us and latches on to her best friend. "Hey hey, you'll come to the memorial too, right? Once we all get out of here?"

Sakura looks down at her best friend for a moment before nodding. "I wouldn't miss it for anything, Hina."

"Good!" She says with a nod. "Now then, let's all get to the morning meeting! I'm more motivated now than ever to go explore, so let's roll out!" Without waiting for a response from any of us, she bolts away toward the dining hall.

"…I'm glad she seems to be doing alright." Sakura says after a moment. "I'm surprised though that someone beat me to her, not that it's a bad thing."

Chihiro, who's still slightly pink, laughs a little. "Well, we were worried. She was heartbroken about what had happened yesterday… I'm glad we helped a little."

"And really…" I say, looking up at the muscular girl. "It's really important that we all stick together at this point, right? We don't know what else Junko is planning."

If my words had any impact on her, it doesn't show. "You're correct. I have no doubt that Junko isn't done with us yet… what she plans to do next however is beyond me."

Before I can say anything more, the door to Mukuro's room opens. "Sorry for the wait…" She stops short when she sees Sakura and Chihiro with me, small smile gracing her features. "Ah, good morning you two."

Chihiro smiles back. "Good Morning Mukuro!"

Sakura merely nods.

I yawn a little and turn away. "Alright… we should probably get to the dining hall. We don't need Taka thinking any of us are dead or anything."

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V:

Once the remaining people gather in the dining hall, Taka loudly clears his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Now then…" He starts. "At this point in time, we can all assume that the fourth floor of the school has become available to exploration! However, due to how late the trial had commenced… I suggest we take it easy for the day!"

"Hold up." Leon says, scratching his head. " _You_ of all people are telling us to chill? The fuck is going on?"

Taka crosses his arms. "I'm hardly forcing anyone to "chill" as you put it! I simply feel it's in our best interests if we all catch up on rest! If you feel like going up and taking a look around, I certainly won't stop you… is there anyone who is going to be looking around?"

Hina's hand immediately flies high into the air. "I am!"

I'd very much like to take a nap myself, but… I feel like that would just make it harder for me to sleep at night. I reluctantly raise my hand. "U-Uhm… I will be."

"Okay, we have Hina and Chihiro volunteering to be our scouts! Anyone else!?" He waits for a few moments; no one seems to be biting. "Very well! We'll meet again for dinner to hear your findings!"

"Y-You seem to be lively…" Toko starts. "Why don't you go look around!?"

"As much as hate to admit, I am actually very drained…" He nods to himself. "Not to mention I need to keep an eye on Mukuro! I don't need to remind you all that she needs someone with her at all times for her safety, and she'd already slept with Makoto last night-!"

I can almost swear I hear Byakuya choke beside me as Makoto's face turns an impressive shade of scarlet. "God, Taka-!"

"Wow Makoto!" Hiro yells. "I didn't take you for a cheater! Why would you do that to Byakuya?"

"…to Byakuya?" Toko echos. "C-Cheat!?"

Oh boy.

Byakuya pinches the bridge of his nose as Makoto wrings his hands nervously. It seems that in all the confusion of last night no one had remembered to inform Toko that her White Knight had been stolen away by our luckster friend… judging by the daggers she's glaring at him at least.

"W-Well… I _am_ … dating him." He starts in a small voice. "B-But I really didn't do anything that could be considered cheating! It really was just… sleeping…" He trails off as her glare turns into one that can burn through steel.

Her look turns into one of desperation as she turns to Byakuya. "M-Master, please tell me it isn't true, that you'd go for-!"

Without waiting for her to finish, he stands from the table. "I don't need to justify myself to _you_ of all people." He walks over and snatches Makoto's wrist, promptly dragging him away from the table and out of the dining room. Toko quickly follows after, question after question coming out as she tries to process this new development.

Once it's quiet again, I see Mondo's shoulders shaking with restrained laughter. "Holy shit, no one told her…!"

Mukuro flicks him on the ear from her seat next to him. "This isn't a good thing to laugh at! You realize this could cause some serious issues, right?"

He shrugs. "Not really. Can't we just get that psychopath back out? She sure as shit is less of a hassle to deal with, strange as it fucking is."

"Easy for you to say!" Hiro yells, pulling at his hair. "You didn't have her following you around and giggling! I can't deal with her!"

Leon snorts. "Cry more, please."

"I will!" He shouts.

Mondo glances over to Leon. "…I bet he liked it."

"…That makes so much sense." He barks out a laugh. "Holy hell, that's gotta be it!"

"I did _not_ like it!" Hiro wails. "S-She-"

"If you didn't like it, why are you denying it so much?" Mondo taunts, grinning over to the clairvoyant.

I shake my head and stand from the table, making sure to push my chair in as I set out to explore the fourth floor. _"Acting like children…"_ I think tiredly.

"Eh, Chi?" Mondo asks after me. "Where are ya going?"

I make a pointed effort to ignore him as I continue down the hall. I may be acting a little childish myself, but I don't really have the stamina to scold any of them.

I slowly make my way up to the fourth floor, getting lost in thought as I do. _"I know Makoto told me what all was up here, but I'd really like to see it for myself."_ I muse, taking the stairs to the third floor. _"If I remember right… he said that this is the floor that Junko hides on."_ In the data center, behind the door with Monokuma on it… but it's off-limits.

" _It's too bad."_ I think as I start up the stairs to the fourth floor. _"The data center would have been the place where I could have really helped the most… well, then again, there's that place Makoto had mentioned."_ I don't really know why there's a secret room in the bathroom with an internet port, but at least I can get Alter Ego in the school's system through there. _"I wonder how his preparations are going? I've basically left him to his own devices with everything that's been going on, so I should really lend a hand after I'm done looking around up here."_

"Hey, Chihiro!"

I look back from my place at the top of the stairs and see Hina bounding up after me, hair still free from its normal ponytail. She jumps over a stair and lands with a thud next to me, looking down at me with a confused expression on her face. "Hey, why did you leave so suddenly? Everyone was super confused!"

"S-Sorry…" I scratch my cheek a little. "I-I just wasn't in the mood to listen to Mondo and Leon tease Hiro like two little kids… I was afraid I'd say something rude if I didn't leave."

She stares at me for a bit before snorting and covering her mouth. I raise an eyebrow at her, and she rapidly shakes her head. "I-I'm sorry!" She says, letting out a few giggles. "It's just… the thought of you saying something rude is a little…"

I blush as she continues to giggle. "H-Hey, I can be mean too!"

"Awh, don't be mad Chihiro!" She slings an arm around my shoulder. "You're just too nice to say something really mean! I bet you don't even think mean things about people normally!"

"I-" I'm about to retaliate, but stop myself short when I realize that she isn't wrong. "…I do if they deserve it."

She nods to herself a little. "Like when you told off Celes, right?" There's an awkward pause at the mention of our recently departed friend. "…W-Well, I mean, it's better to save your harsh words for when someone deserves them! That way they make a lot more difference!"

I frown. "You think so…?"

"Uh-huh!" She detaches herself from me and tilts her head in thought. "Er… what's it that Sakura had told me once…?" She snaps her fingers. "That's right! "Armies fall when a good man goes to war"… or something."

I sigh. "I guess it's true… You're more afraid when someone who's really nice snaps at you than when someone who does it regularly."

"Righto!" She cheers. "So I'm sorry for laughing and all, but try to take it as a compliment!" She turns and starts down the hall. "Okay, I'll take this side, and you can start searching the other! We'll meet in the middle later and share what we found!"

"…" I stare after her, and can't help the smile that breaks onto my face. _"I'm glad she can still smile. The world would definitely be dimmer without it."_

Walking forward, I note that the two restrooms are on my left, and on my right is a decently-sized room set up in the middle of the space. Pulling out my e-handbook, I realize that this is the Data Center.

Against my better judgement, I decide to try the door anyway. It's locked. _"Not surprising given what's in there…"_

I turn away and head down the small hallway to my left. "Judging by the e-Handbook, this is… the music room? If the picture of a piano is any indication…" I push open the large doors and peek inside. "Nothing out of the ordinary…"

I walk in and get lost in thought as I absent-mindedly scan the area. _"This whole thing… I wonder when it's going to end? Makoto's version had gone a lot different than this time, so how are we supposed to guess when there's an end in sight? Not to mention…"_ I frown and stop in my tracks. _"I really hate going behind everyone else's backs like this. It sucks not being able to tell them what Makoto had told me!"_ I sigh. _"Then again… why would they believe us? Especially of the five of us who know, two aren't exactly the most… trustworthy of sorts."_

I groan and flop down in one of the chairs. "J-Jeez…! Why does this all have to be so complicated!?"

"Chi?"

I whip my head around to see a very tired looking Mondo walking toward me. "M-Mondo, why are you still up? I thought you were going to rest like the others?"

He shakes his head. "I was gonna, but… you were acting so weird earlier. I wanted to see if you were feelin' alright."

I stand up and straighten out my skirt. "N-No, everything's fine, I promise! I'm… just thinking about things."

He raises an eyebrow. "That so…?"

"Y-Yeah…" I scratch my cheek, suddenly feeling really self-conscious. "…I'm sorry for making you worry. It's just… this whole situation is starting to get to me a little."

He snorts softly. "You'd have to be a dumbass or a stone cold bitch not to be worried about this shit by now." He hesitates for a moment before walking up to me and pulling me into a brief one-armed hug. "Look, don't think ya gotta keep shit to yourself. I'm still your damn hankie until I manage to find you a new one, so…"

I look up to my tall friend and see that he's making a pointed effort not to look at me, cheeks tinted the lightest shade of pink. I feel my own face start to color as I look toward the ground, unable to keep myself from smiling. "T-Thanks…"

"S-So anyway!" He yells suddenly, pulling away. "Since I'm here, I may as well help you out! Let's hurry up and look around so I can get my happy ass back in bed!"

He quickly stalks towards the exit, and I hurriedly follow after.

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

I'm practically flung into Byakuya's room as he slams the door in Toko's face, more than a little annoyed at this point.

"Of all the things I have to deal with right now!" He yells. "I'm still incapable of understanding why that woman is so obsessed with me! She even had the nerve to question me...!"

I gulp a little as he angrily tosses his jacket to the side, leveling his glare on me next. "And you! What had he meant when he said that you'd slept with her!?"

I back away until my knees hit the bed, making me land hard on my butt. "L-Like I said, we were just sleeping…!" He takes a few steps towards me, making me panic even more. "Really! The only reason she did was because she was too afraid to sleep with Taka, a-and because she was helping me check out Celes' room!"

He's standing right in front of me now, glaring down at me hard. I then proceed to squeak out a small explanation as to what we were doing in there, and what we'd found. For some reason, this only manages to piss him off even more.

"And you didn't even think to ask me to come along?" He snaps, voice like ice.

"Y-You were knocked unconscious just a few hours before!" I retort, suddenly feeling more irritated than scared. "And it's not like I came to her for help, I was gonna go on my own at first! But she saw me looking at my e-Handbook and offered to help!"

"I am not a child to be coddled, Makoto!" He yells, shoving me down on the bed and pinning my arms above me. "Do you seriously consider me so inept that you can't even inform me as to what you're doing!?"

"I don't have to report every little thing to you!" I yell. "Not to mention it was just something small, I didn't want to bother you or anyone else with it!"

"…" There's a long pause before he breaks the silence. "You… always do that."

"Hah?" I question.

Suddenly he puts pressure on my wrists, making me wince. "You never do anything to make sure that _you're_ alright! It's always you trying not to bother anyone else!" He uses the hand that's not pinning me down to take off his glasses. "Quite frankly… that pisses me off."

I gulp. "B-Byakuya, I-"

"Shut up." His retort cuts through me like a razor. "You're always going on about me talking to you more and such, yet you can't even extend me the same courtesy…?" He leans down until his face is inches from my own and smirks. "That's not very fair, Makoto."

" _H-Hang on!"_ I start panicking internally.. _"We were just arguing, right!? So why is he looking at me like a nice piece of meat...!?"_

"I'm going to do something to make certain you won't ever think to go off on your own again..." The look on his face is downright dangerous. "I hope you're prepared, Makoto…"

" _C-Crap!"_ I crush my eyes shut as he starts kissing me. He doesn't waste any time in deepening it; he practically shoves his tongue in my mouth as he initiates a rough and somewhat sloppy make-out session. I try to fight him, really I do, but I can't break free. After a while I just submit and let him do what he wants.

"Ho? Done fighting already?" He purrs, breaking off the kiss. His eyes are warm, but still sharp. "Not that it's a bad thing…" He moves to my neck and starts attacking it mercilessly with feather-light kisses, sticking to just doing that for a while until...

"Hng…!" I chomp down on my lip to keep myself from calling out when he bites down. "Cut it out... now isn't-!" I feel him smirk into my neck as he just keeps going, making it harder for me to keep my voice in. _"This... is really dangerous...!"_

To my surprise though… he suddenly stops.

"B-Byakuya…?"

I feel his grip on me slacken, and I gently roll him off me once I have my wrists free.

…

…He's _asleep._

The bastard fell asleep on me!


	19. No Ragrets!

Makoto's P.o.V:

After the little… _incident_ with Byakuya, I went back to my room and made an executive decision not to come out until the next day. I even made Chihiro tell everyone I wasn't feeling good when he'd come to get me for the results of the fourth floor investigation. Part of it was because of how tired I was, but the other part… well…

I'm not an unforgiving person, but I have a right to be pissed when _that_ happens.

I mean, I get he was probably out of it when it _started_ , but the fact that he just passed out on top of me when he was practically about to have his way with me is just too much! I bet even Hina would be angry if that happened!

Which is what's led me to the present. For our morning meeting I've situated myself between Mukuro and Chihiro on the opposite end of the table from Byakuya… so that I couldn't see him. It may be a little childish, but I don't particularly care at this point.

"Alright!" Taka yells loudly, usual energy back at full force. "Has someone filled Makoto in on our discoveries on the fourth floor?"

"A-Ah, yes." Chihiro lies. Obviously he wouldn't have needed to tell me.

"Outstanding!" He nods. "Now… the question is, what do we do from here? Our main objective is still the same, but…" He sighs, deflating a little. "We're at a slight stand-still when it comes to information. We know who has trapped us here, but the why is still a mystery…"

"There's prolly somethin' in the headmaster's office." Mondo says with a huff. "But that shit's off-limits cause that crazy chick locked it… same with the data center."

"So… what are our options?" Hina mumbles, tilting her head. "Maybe we should take a more in-depth look at the staff room?"

Chihiro shakes his head. "No… I sifted through it yesterday. Most of the documents were cleared out of the desks and folders."

"There must be _something_ we overlooked!" Hiro says, a little desperate. "I-I mean, we can't seriously just wait around for another murder… right?"

I bite my lip. What _are_ we supposed to do? Byakuya and I already know what's gone on, but we haven't gotten any closer to finding out why this is all happening again… it's not looking too great.

"There's always one option…" Leon says suddenly. He points a lazy finger towards the girl sitting next to me. "She could spill her guts."

"B-But… didn't you people tell me that Junko said she'd k-k-kill someone if her traitor sister said anything?" Toko questions, pulling at her braids.

He goes silent. Just as he looks ready to say something else, Monokuma appears at the foot of the table.

"Whine whine whine! Half of you guys haven't even _been_ to the fourth floor yet, so how would you know what's up there for yourself?" Hiro opens his mouth to speak, but Monokuma cuts him off with a raised paw. "Ah ah ah! I don't wanna hear it, crystal-for-brains! You're writing off a whole bunch of possibilities cause you're too lazy to climb a few flights of stairs! Fatties…" He sighs and starts walking down the length of the table. "But, that's alright! I get it! Sometimes you just wanna shove your work on someone else, right? I speak from experience though, letting other's handle your work is too much of a gamble!"

I grimace. "…So what exactly are you doing here?"

"I've come to relieve someone of their services!" He giggles. "Since Mukuro's little indiscretion, I've been doing some _beary_ important thinking… and I've decided having inside people is nothing but a hassle! Which is why…" He turns around to face a certain person. "I'm relieving you of your duties Ms. Ogami!"

The silence that suddenly overtakes the group is one of shock. Even I'm caught off-guard; had he seriously just let her go? Without Sakura having to fight for it?

"…What are you talking about?" She says stiffly.

"Yeah, I'm done with you!" The bear scratches his belly. "You're too much of a risk! Way, way too much! So you're dismissed from your traitorly obligations!"

She growls and stands. "You…!" She deflates slightly at Hina's devastated look. "…What of my family's dojo?"

"Ho ho, wouldn't _you_ like to know?" He says, jumping off the table. "Well, my job's done, so I'm out! Later kiddies!"

"Sakura!" Hina yells as soon as Monokuma's gone. "What was he talking about? You betrayed us!?"

"Hina, I…" She starts, but then she looks away, not able to meet the perky brunette's teary-eyed gaze. "In the truest sense of the word, I have… betrayed you all."

"God, I knew it couldn't only have been her!" Leon yells, slamming his hands on the table.

"Guys, hang on!" I yell. "Sakura must have had her reasons! None of us are exactly in ideal position here, so getting ahead of ourselves here isn't gonna help!" I sigh and look to the martial artist. "Sakura… please explain. Why were you working with Junko?"

She hesitates for a moment before she opens her mouth. "...Upon my awakening when we'd first come here… I learned that the Mastermind, whose identity I didn't know at the time, had taken over my family's dojo. I had no other choice but to comply with what he wished… otherwise he'd disband it."

"That's what you were working with him for!?" Leon yells. "A dojo!?"

"A dojo that's been run by my family for generations!" Sakura yells back. "For me to simply let him do as he wished with it…!"

"Leon, her family's dojo is super important to her!" Hina retorts, backing her best friend fully. "And it's not like she's killed anyone! She was probably just telling Junko what we knew… or something…" Sakura nods sadly. "Yeah! So we shouldn't get mad at her for doing what she did!"

"Like fuck, you're gonna take _her_ word for it!? She probably helped someone commit a crime or something!" I cringe a little at this, because that's more than likely _exactly_ what she did. "God Hina, I can't believe you're being so… so…"

"So what?" She yells, indignant. "Stupid!?"

"Exactly!" He stands from the table, chair falling to the ground with a clatter. "You're trusting her blindly-!"

"That's enough." Byakuya cut's in, standing. "He had something over her, she worked for Junko, but she's been laid off. End of story. Dwelling on it is going to separate us as a group, which I'm certain was her goal from the start."

"Seriously…" Mukuro frowns. "Not to mention if Sakura really wanted to hurt someone and escape, don't you think she could have easily done so by now?"

"You two are prolly in cahoots!" Hiro yells. "God, I knew we should have tied you up somewhere-!"

"We would have done no such thing regardless!" Taka yells. "Now, everyone quiet down and listen! I've given my trust to Mukuro, and I'm extending the same courtesy to Sakura! Until proven otherwise, we are all still on the same side!"

"You're all just fucking stupid!" Leon yells. "I'm not gonna sit here and be buddy-buddy with a bunch of traitors to-fucking-be!" He storms out of the room, leaving us all in an uneasy silence.

"…" Surprisingly, Chihiro is the first to speak. "I… I think we should just end the meeting here… I'm sure we're all feeling a little uneasy…"

"What?" Taka asks. "But-"

"Sorry bro." Mondo says, standing. "The soldier chick proved she was okay when she saved your ass… but _she_ doesn't have shit to back her up. I'm out for now." He leaves the dining room without another word.

As the rest of us filter out bit-by-bit, I look toward Sakura. A deep frown is gracing her features as Hina animatedly tries to assure her that everything's fine.

But it really isn't.

There are too many things about this that are off this time for me to be comfortable. As far as I know, Sakura hadn't actually assisted with any murders last time… but that hair we found in Celestia's room is more than enough to raise doubt. Not to mention the fact that she'd pulled me aside the other day…

"Something here isn't adding up…" I mumble, standing from the table. Completely forgetting my earlier irritation, I catch Byakuya's eye and motion towards the door. He nods, and we both quickly excuse ourselves from the room.

* * *

?'s P.o.V:

"How long are they going to keep up this facade, I wonder?"

…Of course I'm alone, so no one answers.

We've all sat and watched them at some point. Some with cruel indifference, some with disgusting delight… but all I do is watch. I watch them, and I watch those around me react to them.

None of these people are even remotely aware of what's going on right now, but I'm no fool. I've seen it in her eyes... She _knows_ things. Things that the her that should be shouldn't know. The same goes for the two people I'm currently staring at; they know too much.

It's strange, really… I hadn't imagined that what he was saying held any weight. To think that this sort of thing was possible...

"Not that it matters to me of course." I say to no one in particular.

…

I'm not being entirely truthful when I say this though. It _does_ matter. The excitement I see in her eyes is manic, like she's anticipating something amazing, but there are also times where I see a deep-seeded anger that can only be attributed to something going wrong.

I'd told her before she was going to fail in the beginning. She'd brushed me off, but she'd still given me her plan B in the event it really did fail. Recently however, she's stopped using the word if. She's been talking like she knows the future... well, _a_ future. I've heard her question why we have the detective with us, and pout about certain people not being dead yet.

All these signs… something must be different. Something must not be happening like it has in times past.

I lean back in my chair, watching the two people most similar to her exit the room. They're the ones who are igniting the anger in her, the ones who are causing her scripted scenario to come undone… the ones who are going to break her little game.

My facial expression doesn't change, but I feel excitement thrumming in my veins. The very thought of such a charismatic leader's undoing… the possibility of an end even _she_ could get no pleasure from…

"Yes, this will definitely be entertaining!"

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

Without having to say anything, we both make our way into the bath house. Honestly, I'm not concerned about raising suspicion at this point. Without looking back at him, I flop down on the bench and explain what Mukuro and I had found in Celestia's room.

His expression is stony as he listens. "…So you're concerned _why_?"

"Because this is too weird!" I say, looking up. "I mean, first Sakura pulls me aside a few days ago, and now she's helping Celestia to commit murder?" I shake my head. "Look, it wouldn't have bothered me so much if this didn't just happen, but you have to admit that Junko suddenly telling Sakura that she doesn't need her any more is a _little_ suspicious!"

"It is." He says flatly. I'd already told him about the incident a few days ago, but we'd chalked it up to simple curiosity. "But what exactly do you intend to do about it? Go up to her directly and question her?" He shakes his head. "It hardly seems to be worth it."

"…" I sigh. "I… don't know what else to do. Taka was right, we're at a stand-still when it comes to information…" I bite my lip a little. "But, ya know… I've sort of had a feeling recently that Junko remembers too. And… maybe Sakura does as well."

Byakuya raises an eyebrow. "…What gave you that impression?"

"I don't know, it's just…" I shift a little. "When Sakura approached me… it seemed like she was asking more for herself than for someone else." I look off to the side. "As for Junko… I'm not sure. I didn't think she remembered at first, but now I just have this awful feeling that she _does_. I mean, why wouldn't she? She's the one who started… whatever this is." I look up at him. "Please Byakuya, it's not just a hunch! We don't even have to be specific, all I want is to go and see if Sakura _might_ know something!"

He goes silent for a moment. "...There's still too much we don't know." He adjusts his glasses slightly, which are starting to fog up from the humidity in the room. "But assuming Sakura _does_ remember what had happened last time, I want to ask her how long she's remembered. It's one thing if she'd had it since it began, but if it came back some time later… we may have a very annoying issue on our hands."

I frown and furrow my eyebrows slightly. "We would?"

"Think about it for a second Makoto." Byakuya says, irritated. "What do you think would happen if certain people remembered what they'd done last time? What they had done to them?" He shakes his head. "If their memories can come back at any time…"

My breath catches. "Kyoko had said that she remembered! Right when she'd saved me from…" I trail off, not wanting to think about that at the moment. "What do we _do_ Byakuya? Imagine if Hiro, or god forbid _Leon_ remembers what had happened?"

"If Sakura does actually remember, and we can determine what triggered it, we may be able to prevent the other's memories from coming back." He says with finality. "We don't have much we can do at this point with our limited resources, but if we can prevent those idiots from remembering something that'll either deeply regret or go insane over… it'll make our lives a lot easier."

I nod and stand. "Then let's go right now!"

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V:

I wander around the halls aimlessly as I process what just happened. Makoto had told me about this… but it's still sort of a hard pill to swallow.

"More than that though, people are getting too suspicious of each other!" I mumble under my breath. "It's exactly what she wants us to do…"

After I loop around the dorm area once or twice in an effort to work off some of my frustration with this situation, I let out a small sigh. I should be doing something productive with this energy.

" _What can I do though?"_ I wonder. _"Alter Ego and I have already almost finished what we needed to do to break into the school's system… maybe I can tweak the computer's hardware a little? It may be easier to upload Alter Ego to the server if I can boost the processor's speed…"_ I frown. _"Is there even anything I can use to do that though? It's unlikely… but there may be some spare parts in the warehouse."_

I shrug, figuring it's worth a look at the very least.

* * *

Mondo's P.o.V:

Damn, this is annoying.

I sigh as I drop the dumbbell I was just working with on the ground. I figured I'd work out cause I had nothing better to do, but I can't fucking focus. Of all the asses here, Ogre was the last one I would have guessed to be working with the psycho broad that put us here.

" _Sure she had her reasons, but it sure as shit makes it a lot harder to trust people here! Next thing ya know the little shit is gonna tell us that Chihiro is the one who made him, or that prissy pants paid for all the guns and shit that are keeping our asses pinned!"_

I shake my head with a sigh. _"Nah. I could see the asshole doing something like that, but Chihiro wouldn't make an exploding teddybear… I'm just a little on-edge, I guess."_

My stomach growls, snapping me out of my paranoid thoughts.

"…Guess it's time for me to get a snack."

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

We hurry back to the dining room, and surprisingly enough Sakura and Hina are still there.

"Oh, hey guys…" Hina says. "Why'd you come back? I thought you guys were gonna have a hot make-out session or something."

I flush to the tips of my ears. "What on earth gave you that idea…?"

Sakura chuckles slightly from her place beside Hina, but it's not very convincing. "Hina…"

"Sorry!" She says, looking sheepish. "Isn't that what couples do when they run off together…?"

Byakuya appears completely nonplussed. "We had to discuss something in private for a moment… and now we have something to discuss with Sakura. Please make yourself scarce."

Hina glares at him. "Are you two gonna grill her for this too?!"

"It's nothing like that Hina!" I try to assure. "It's just-!"

"You know," She says, talking over me. "I could see it coming from Byakuya, but _you_ of all people?" She crosses her arms, eyes tearing up slightly as she glares at me. "I just can't believe this! I mean-!"

"Hina." Sakura states. "Why don't you go on to the pool without me?"

She whips her gaze up to her best friend. "Sakura, you can't be serious! You're really going to sit here and let them interrogate you!?"

"No." She says. "They aren't going to be doing anything of the sort. You need to remember that these are your friends… please, have a little faith." She smiles at her in a reassuring way. "Trust me Hina… these two are the least likely to betray you of anyone here."

"It's not me I'm worried about, dummy!" Hina huffs, putting her hands on her hips. "You're not a rock! You have feelings, and I don't want anyone bulling you for something you didn't have a choice about!"

"We aren't going to bully her!" I say in our defense. I look up to Byakuya. "Well, I'm not going to at least!" I hear him scoff in indignation. "Please, just trust me on this Hina… we really do only want to talk to her."

"…" She puffs out her cheeks at me. "Fine! But I swear, if I hear that you two were jerks to her, I'll… I'll..! Agh! Just don't be mean!"

With that, she storms out of the room, making a pointed effort to keep a steady glare on us until she was out of sight.

Once she's gone, Sakura sighs. "…I was wondering when you two would approach me."

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V:

The warehouse is a lot bigger than one would guess. There are tons, and I mean _tons_ , of shelves lined with an assortment of… things.

" _I realize that this stuff is supposed to sustain us for the rest of our lives, but really?"_ I grimace as I pass another shelf. _"What are we going to do with a bunch of cans of wall paint…?"_

With a sigh, I head back towards the front. There were a few miscellaneous wires here and there, but nothing that I could really use. _"Maybe I should have taken a look in the physics lab instead… it probably would have been the better bet."_ I blush a little at my silly mistake. Why hadn't I thought of that earlier? Just as I'm about to leave the warehouse, something catches my eye.

Monokuma, sitting up on a shelf.

I almost let out a surprised yelp, but then I realize it's not even functioning… given the fact that it's just the head.

…

It may actually be scarier this way though.

Just as I'm about to back away, it occurs to me that there probably isn't a bomb in there, or if there is it most likely isn't functioning. _"It may not be anything but an empty shell, but it's worth checking out! There really might be something in there that'll help us out!"_

Resolving myself to go and take a look at it at least, I start climbing the impossibly tall shelf.

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

There's a strange silence that falls between the three of us. That statement… wasn't something I expected to hear right off the bat.

"So." Byakuya says, leveling a piercing glare on her. "You did remember."

She glances off to the side. "…Not the entire time, no. From what I've seen however, you two have."

"You're not wrong." I say, feeling uneasy. "But Sakura… what happened? When did you start to remember?"

"It's… strange." She says, looking strangely small. "In the beginning I would get these moments of déjà vu. Just feelings that I'd been somewhere, done something before… I'm more than certain we've all had those moments before."

"Get on with it." Byakuya clips. "What made you start to remember?"

"It was after our secrets were revealed." She answers easily.

* * *

Mondo's P.o.V:

"Ahh, crap. She's still in there." I say, standing outside the dining hall. "Talkin' to Makoto and prissy pants no less…"

I sigh. I'm not the smartest guy, but it looks like they're prolly asking her about the stuff that went down earlier. Me walking in now would prolly just make shit weird.

My stomach growls in a loud reminder that it needs food. I sigh. _"Fuck's sake…"_ There isn't any other place for me to grab some grub, right? So it looks like I'm gonna hafta go in there anyway…

I scratch my cheek. _Is_ there another place to get food? I remember that chick Hina saying something about hoarding candies that were in the warehouse…

I shrug. Candy sounds pretty good right about now!

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

"Our secrets?" I echo.

She nods, contemplative frown on her face. "Yes, directly after. When Mukuro had shoved Taka out of the way and was impaled by that spear… everything came rushing back at once." She crosses her arms. "…It was a strange sensation. I recall my consciousness fading after I'd drank the poison, and then..." She shakes her head. "It wasn't a seamless transition to say the least."

"Define seamless." Byakuya demands from beside me. "You weren't acting strange at all in the time that followed… you'd even helped us with Mukuro. One would think you'd be at least slightly disoriented…"

"Byakuya!" I snap. Sakura holds a hand up to stop me.

"No Makoto. I don't blame him for his skepticism." She sighs. "It was like a car hitting me at first, and for a while there I was stunned. The me now had to come to terms with what the me of the past had experienced… for a moment I thought I'd gone insane. I suppose no one noticed because of the commotion going on, but thankfully I managed to recover from it fairly quickly."

There's a short pause. After a moment, Byakuya allows a stiff nod. "I'll accept that. But now that I know you remember, I demand an explanation as to why you were in Celestia's room."

I fight the urge to smack my forehead. Straight to the point as always. Sakura frowns. "…I was ordered to bring Celestia Genocide Jack's file from her room. I didn't want to raise suspicion, so I had no other choice but to follow Junko's orders."

I bite my lip. She was right in not wanting to raise suspicions, but her means of doing so… "I don't understand. If you already knew you were going against the mastermind, why did you…?"

She shakes her head. "I was unsure as to how many people remembered… if Junko had, wouldn't she have expected me to follow orders to a certain point?"

"Fair enough…" I mumble. The reasoning is flimsy at best, but it's not a terrible way of thinking.

"On to the next question then." Byakuya adjusts his glasses a little. "Why exactly did you not approach us? You seemed to have some sort of idea that we knew something more."

"I was going to, but after I'd spoken to Makoto I wasn't so sure." She states. "I'd thought it best to wait it out and see how everyone acted compared to what I remembered last time and my memories from this time. If I'd come up to someone and was wrong in my thinking…" She lets out a sad chuckle. "I didn't want to risk being viewed as even less trustworthy once this happened…"

"…" Byakuya gives her an up-down glance. "More than likely a wise move."

"Now, if I may…" She says, looking uneasy. "Would you two mind if I asked what had happened after my… departure?"

Byakuya shoots me a look that clearly asks if we should or not, and I bite the inside of my cheek. "Sakura… are you sure? It's not very good, to say the least."

"I am going to find out eventually anyway." She states, face hard with determination. "I appreciate you concern Makoto, but I think at this point I have a right to know… what did Junko Enoshima do to us all?"

"…Right." I say. When had delivering bad news become a constant for me?

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V:

I take a deep breath as I clutch the shelf for dear life. This was an awful idea!

" _Why did I think I could climb this!? It's so high! Too high!"_ I almost lose my balance again and I let out a breathless squeak.

As it turns out, the Monokuma head was just a stuffed one. Why it was there I'll never know, but now I can't bring myself to climb down.

Whatever is on the shelf above me jiggles loudly when I have to catch myself again. At this rate I'm going to end up buried under a pile of god-knows-what…

I'm… in trouble.

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

"…and that about sums that up." I take a deep breath after my long-winded explanation and look up at my muscular friend. As expected, the look on her face is a reasonable mix between troubled and shock.

"I had known she'd done something to us," She starts after a moment, disbelief painted thickly in her voice. "But to think she'd erased two years of our lives together…!"

"And now we have to worry about the issue as to how in the hell this happened again." Byakuya states firmly. "I assume we can expect your full cooperation now?"

She quickly shakes her feelings off, expression shifting into one of determination. "Have no doubts. I _will_ help you. Is there anything else you need me to tell you? I don't know much more than I did last time, but I may be able to give some insight, at the very least…"

"Funny you should mention…" I say, scratching my head. "Would you happen to remember what made you remember stuff? Like, was there something in particular that triggered it?"

"…Not right off the top of my head. Why?" She asks.

"You're a sensible person in your own way." Byakuya states, a little more harshly than necessary. "Certain people here, however, are not. It would cause issues if they began remembering what all occurred last time."

"I understand your point." Sakura says, brushing off his remark. "…Though, now that I think of it, there was one thing. It may have had something to do with it…"

* * *

Mondo's P.o.V:

"…The fuck is rattling inside here?" I wonder out loud.

For all I know that psycho broad Junko set up some sorta death trap in here… though it's pretty damn unlikely. I shrug and open up the door.

What I see inside makes my stomach churn.

"Chi, what the fuck are you doing!?" I yell. That little moron is so high up that his feet could touch the top of my head!

He starts when he hears me and loses his grip on the shelf.

Maybe yelling at him wasn't the best choice.

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

"Right when Mukuro was hit with the spear after she'd pushed Taka out of the way, it reminded me of something."

"Reminded you?" I question. "Of when she died the first time?"

She shakes her head. "No, not of that… It reminded me of the feeling I had when Genocide Jack had cut Hina when she was defending me."

"That's hardly the same thing." Byakuya says with an irritated sigh.

"I never said I understood why it reminded me of it." Sakura clips. "All I know is that once it happened, I wondered if he felt as awful as I had for causing her to get hurt… and then it all came back."

I grimace. "So… you're saying that what happened to you reminded you of the feeling you had for causing her to get hurt…" I look toward Byakuya. "What do you think…?"

He rubs the bridge of his nose. "We're probably screwed."

"How so?" Sakura asks.

"If what you're saying is true… then anyone here could recall what happened at any time if it has even the slightest thing to do with something they'd experienced last time." He sighs. "At least, that's what I'm taking from-"

A loud clatter erupts from somewhere, effectively cutting Byakuya off and setting all of us on edge.

"What the hell was that!?" I yell.

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V:

…I must have blacked out for just a moment, because the next thing I know I'm on the ground staring up at the ceiling.

"O-Ow…!" I squeak when I try to sit up. My ears are ringing, and my head is throbbing like crazy. I reach up and touch the top of my hair, feeling panicked as soon as I touch something wet. Did I really just manage to bust my head open!?

I force myself to sit up, using the shelf I'd just fallen from for support. I keep a hand on my head as I look to the side. "C-Cans…?" Yes, there are whole bunch of cans where I was just laying… did they fall on top of me?

"H-How did I even…?" I try to look back at the shelf, but think better of it once my head starts throbbing again. How did I end up falling down again? "Someone… came in?"

I look towards the door. Sure enough… Mondo is standing there with some sort of unreadable look on his face. I gasp in embarrassment, and then the guilt hits me.

"O-Oh, Mondo!" I call out. "I-It really isn't your fault, I mean, I was the one who…" I trail off. He's just staring at me. "Mondo…?"

…

Something's… wrong.

He's started shaking… _trembling_ is more the right word. He looks absolutely horrified as he stares at me from his place at the door, looking as if he wants to run away… but can't.

"M-Mondo?"


	20. Chapter 20

Chihiro's P.o.V:

The way Mondo is staring at me worries me a lot, so I heave myself to a stand using the shelf as support. My vision swims a little, but I manage to keep both feet on the ground.

"Mondo?" I start. "W-What's wrong? You look like you saw a ghost!"

He doesn't answer though. He has this strange sort of faraway look in his eye; like he can't even see me. I let go of the shelf and try to walk over to him, but he suddenly snaps out of his reverie.

"Stay back!" He screams, startling me to a halt. "D-Don't you get any fucking closer to me!"

"M-Mondo..." I'm completely baffled by his sudden shift in behavior. There's no reason for him do be afraid, but that's the one thing I can tell from his face; he's completely terrified of me. "W-What's the-" I take another step forward, which was the wrong move completely. He practically leaps back into the hall and bolts off.

"Mondo, wait-!" I try to go after him, but a sudden wave of dizziness hits me like a bomb. I stumble to my knees and barely manage to keep my already bloody head from hitting the ground.

I hear disjointed shouting from the hallway. _"Did he run into someone?"_

Before I have time to think about it, my question is answered for me. The odd trio of Makoto, Byakuya, and Sakura all storm into the warehouse, alarm written plainly on all their faces.

"Chihiro!" Makoto wails, practically sliding over to me and landing hard on his knees. "What happened!? Are you okay!?"

"I-I'm… alright. For the most part." I reach up and touch my head. The blood is still wet in my hair… how gross.

"What did he try to do to you?" Sakura asks, stooping down to hold a towel to my head. "So help me, if he tried to…" She trails off, not wanting to finish her sentence.

"He…?" I snap my head up to meet her gaze, panic making my heart leap. "N-No! It's nothing like that at all! I-I was on the shelf, and Mondo came in and yelled at me asking what I was doing! S-So, I sort of lost my grip on it and accidentally pulled some stuff down, a-and…" I touch a shaky hand to my forehead. "I-I really only blacked out for a moment, but when I came to, Mondo was... weird."

"Weird how…?" Makoto asks.

I grimace. "I-It's just… he looked so terrified. Of me. Maybe he's afraid of blood…?" I look up at all of them. "Hey, if we can just stop by the infirmary for a minute so I can get a bandage, I'd really like to find him! T-The way he was acting was just…" I trail off when I see the three of them looking at each other. "What?"

"Guys…" Makoto says, darting his eyes between me and the other two. "You don't think that he…?"

Byakuya doesn't even try to hide his distaste. "How ironic that this happens right after we finish talking about it… and of course it has to be someone troublesome."

Sakura frowns. "I apologize. If only I had acted sooner…"

"H-Hey!" Makoto takes over pressing the towel to my head and helps me to a stand. "You couldn't have predicted this! It's just… unfortunate!"

"Let's focus on figuring out what we're going to do about that idiot." Byakuya spits. "I don't expect him to act rationally about this at all."

"H-Hang on a second!" I say, feeling completely lost. "What's going on? What happened to Mondo?"

Sakura bites her lip. "Should we?"

Byakuya snorts and starts heading out the door. "I don't think we have a choice."

* * *

Mondo's P.o.V:

**I can't breathe** _**.** _

Slamming the door shut, that's the only thing that crosses my mind.

**I can't breathe… I can't fucking** _**breathe** _ **.**

The cage, the bike, my screams…

**It hurts so much.**

I clutch my head. "No. It's not real, it's fucking _not!_ "

A voice in my head tells me it is though. The burning I felt from the electricity, in that shitty cage, because of that shitty bear! The fucking _agony_ … and then the nothing that followed.

Nothing except that one thought.

**I'm so sorry…**

**I'm so sorry…**

**I'm so fucking sorry…!**

"Sorry isn't good enough!" I scream. "Nothing can justify what I did to that guy…!"

Except he isn't just _that guy_ , not to the me before, but to me _now_. Chihiro is…

"Chihiro is…!"

**Dead… because of me. I killed him.**

I slam my fist into the wall behind me, over and over as the scene replays in my mind. Something I don't remember happening, but I _do_. Like someone injected these scenes in my head, these thoughts, these _memories._

**I bashed his skull in because I was jealous, jealous and pissed.**

His lifeless body in front of me, eyes wide in shock. Not anger, not sadness… just surprised. He… didn't see it coming. He didn't try to run.

It just happened.

It just _happened._

"It just happened, for fucks sake…!"

**I didn't fucking mean to kill him!**

…

"…I-I didn't mean to…"

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V.:

Distress is clearly written all over Chihiro's face when we tell him what had happened. He didn't believe us at first when we told him about his murder and subsequent trial. Even though he knew the gist of his death, the details of who and how seemed to shock him to his core. The saddest part is that he burst into tears once we told him about Mondo's punishment. By the time we finished patching Chihiro up, he's puffy-eyed and completely silent.

"I-I…" Chihiro trembles a little when he finally works up the nerve to speak. "Why don't I remember then? All I have to go off of is what you told me, and… h-he seemed to remember."

"I… don't know Chihiro." I frown. "I mean, it's such a vague thing… we didn't even put together that people could remember like this until recently!"

He looks down at his hands as he messes with the hem of his skirt from his seat on the bed. "…When you'd told me I died the first time," He pauses for a moment to find his words. "You said they'd felt awful. That they didn't fight their execution."

I nod. "Yeah. He didn't."

"…It must have hurt." He says sadly. "You told me I died instantly, but he… suffered. Suffered much more than I did. Not just physically either, but the emotional trauma…" He looks up at us, tears making his eyes look glassy. "W-What am I supposed to do though…? I don't remember anything. What could I possibly say to him?"

"Nothing." Byakuya says with an irritated sigh. Chihiro jumps a little when he speaks up, and for good reason. Telling him about what had happened included Byakuya's tampering with his body and the scene of the crime. "You're going to stay here."

"What!?" He yells, surprised. "B-But, this is my fault! How could I not-!"

"Only _you_ would blame him murdering you on yourself." Byakuya crosses his arms and turns away. "You'd be in the way if you came. He'd probably only run away again." As he walks through the door, Chihiro rockets to a stand.

"It's not like I can just sit here when I'm the one who caused this!" A rare bit of anger shows itself on his face, tears that were threatening to fall spilling out. "M-maybe it's not my fault that I died back then, but i-if I hadn't been climbing that shelf, then I wouldn't have hit my head! He wouldn't have remembered something so… so awful! A-And in that case, yes, I _do_ blame myself! Even now, my death is making him suffer more than I ever did! He probably thinks he's gone insane! S-So I-!"

"Chihiro." His head darts up to the large female who called his name. "While I can't attest much to Mondo's state of mind, I do not think seeing you first thing is going to help him. If you don't mind, we'd like to talk to him before anything else… maybe try to calm him down so you two can speak? Would you be okay with that?" Chihiro looks ready to protest, but Sakura's stern yet kind gaze keeps him quiet. He simply nods. "Alright. Wait here for a moment then. I do not think this will take long."

"About time." Byakuya stalks out the door, earning a glare from the already agitated Chihiro. Sakura and I head out after him, but I pause for a moment to offer my small friend a reassuring smile before I dart off after them.

We ascend the flight of stairs to the second floor. Once Byakuya had turned this way, I had a feeling where we were heading. Sure enough, we don't go up another flight; we head right for the pool area.

...To the locker rooms.

Byakuya shoves the door open as we enter the room that splits off into the two locker rooms. "…Do you really think he's going to be in there?" I ask. "I mean, it makes sense, but…"

"The guilty always return to the scene of the crime." Byakuya clips, annoyance clear in his voice. "While that may not always be true, it certainly applies to the stupid."

"It makes sense." Sakura agrees quietly. "Though I do not agree with the remark on his intelligence, surely his guilt would drive him back here."

"Alright…" I had a feeling it was something like this. "Should I try to talk to him first?"

"It would be best." Sakura nods. "I do not share the same level of closeness that you two do, and Byakuya would more than likely not be the best candidate to talk someone down."

Ignoring the glare he sends Sakura's way, I push past him and scan my e-Handbook. I hear the lock click open, but when I try to open the door, it doesn't budge.

"Go the fuck away!" I hear Mondo scream from inside.

"Mondo, unblock the door!" I yell back. "We just want to talk!"

"Like hell!" He retorts. "I dunno who the fuck you have out there right now, but I'm not talking to any-fucking-one… especially him!"

"Chihiro isn't here with us!" I hear a clatter from inside the room. "It's just Sakura and Byakuya with me! Look, if you just let us explain-!"

"Explain what!?" His voice cracks slightly, blurring the line between anger and hysteria. "I fucking _killed_ him Makoto! I _died_! Leon killed Sayaka! Junko, or Mukuro, or whoever the fuck turned into a pincushion for Christ's sake! But somehow we're _alive_!? This has got to be a sick fucking joke!"

"Well it's not." Byakuya states blandly, cutting me off as I'm about to speak. "Now if you'll stop acting like a moron for a few moments, we can tell you what we know about what's going on."

"The last person I want to hear from is _you_!" He spits through the door. "You're one sick ticket to move someone's dead body for kicks!"

"Coming from the one who killed him in the first place?" Byakuya retorts. "You are in no position to judge me of anything."

"…!" I stare in shock at Byakuya as Mondo falls silent beyond the door. Did he really just do that? Sakura shares my surprise apparently; her usual stoic expression is completely gone.

"Byakuya!" She yell whispers. "Are you mad? That's-!"

"…You're right." Mondo says after a moment. "I dun have the right to say anythin' after what I did to him. Not a damn thing…"

"Then maybe you'll be so inclined to shut up and listen." Byakuya pushes up his glasses. "Look, we-"

"What good is talkin' to me gonna do?" Mondo's voice has lost all its vigor; the way his voice sounded in that instant made my heart wrench. "I'm a murderer. I'm _scum_. The only way someone like me can be helpful to anyone is to anyone is if I keep myself locked up." I hear a clatter behind the door. "And that's exactly what I'm doing."

"Mondo! H-Hey, Mondo!" He doesn't respond after that, and I turn angrily to the guy who caused it all. "What the hell was that for!?"

"Tch." Byakuya clicks his tongue. "I had thought being brash would appeal to that buffoon. Leave it to him to start using logic at an inconvenient time!"

"Do you not realize what you've done!?" Sakura asks angrily as she pushes us out of the room and into the hall. "We've just made this a lot harder on ourselves!"

"I'm no fool!" Byakuya retorts. "My plan backfired. Even _I_ know when to admit that!"

"G-Guys, now isn't the time!" I cut in just before it can turn into an argument. "Look, what's done is done! For now we need to find a way to keep the others from disturbing Mondo like this!"

Sakura deflates slightly, though she still looks tense. "What do you suggest? We won't be able to keep everyone in the dark for long."

"First off, we need to make sure Taka doesn't go looking for Mondo." I glance back to the stairs. "We may need to enlist Mukuro's help to keep him busy, but I don't know how long she can keep "bros" apart."

"It's something to stall him at the very least." Byakuya allows. "Now, how do you suggest we go about keeping people from entering the locker rooms? Since you seem to be leading this little operation."

I frown up at him. He's putting this all on me? "…Well, Hina would be entering and exiting the pool through the girl's side, so it shouldn't raise suspicion with her." I scratch my cheek. "I have to admit though, I don't know how many guys actually use the pool and the workout stuff."

"Leon is usually the only male who frequents this area." Sakura frowns a little. "With him labeling me a "traitor" however, he may be less inclined to come around since I'm usually here."

"So you'll be playing guard dog." Byakuya states flatly. "Anything else?"

I don't like this attitude of his. "…Chihiro?"

"Let him do what he wants." He turns away from Sakura and I and stalks down the stairs. "The only thing he can do at this point to make it worse is to make that fool kill himself. At the end of the day, it's no skin off my nose."

I can only stare in the direction he left, completely baffled. "He'd been doing so well… what the hell is with his attitude?"

"Makoto." I look up to Sakura. "Don't be fooled; while he may act better around you, he is still very much the same as he was before. Everyone here is still a "plebeian"…" She smirks a little as she walks away back towards the locker room. "Though it seems to me that you're the only plebeian that matters to him. Try not to get too mad because of how he is."

The door closes softly behind her. Knowing she's gone, I let out a small huff of irritation. "Only plebeian that matters…? She's full of it!" I stomp down the stairs after my alleged boyfriend. "I'm gonna go give that jerk a piece of my mind!"

* * *

I knock loudly on the door and tap my foot as I wait for him to answer. I get that he's a narcissist by default, but that callous shit needs to stop fast!

It doesn't take long for him to answer; if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was waiting for me. "Come on."

Taking that as the closest thing to an invitation as I'm going to get, I walk inside. "Was that really necessary?"

He looks to the side after he shuts the door. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about! What crawled up your shorts today? You've barely been able to contain yourself since we talked to Sakura!"

"…" He looks right at me. "What about you?"

"W-What?" I ask.

"You were avoiding me this morning. Don't act like you weren't." He glares. "Why?"

"Why!?" I ask. "Do you even remember what you did last night…?"

He stares. "Of course I do. To a point."

"And what point would that be?" He stops to think for a moment before answering.

"Up until I pinned you on the bed." Something seems to occur to him at this point because his scowl softens a bit. "Ah."

"Ah?" I say, feeling a little miffed. "That's all you have to say? Seriously?"

"I… apologize." He pushes up his glasses a little. "I suppose it was a little soon, but it _is_ the natural progression of a relationship. If anything I should be the angry one because of my lack of a memory-"

"What are you saying?" I cross my arms. "You fell asleep on top of me mid-makeout, you ass!"

"Fell asleep?" This seems to catch him off-guard. "I see. It seems I've jumped to a strange conclusion." He scowls and turns away. "What's more, I let my guard down to such a degree…?"

I… feel tired all of the sudden.

I make sure to flop down on his bed as hard as I can just to mess up his perfectly done-up sheets. The jerk. "Well, today has gone to hell. And the day isn't even half over yet." I turn my head to look at him. "You seriously mean to tell me that you were acting so pissy because of that? Really?"

"I have a right to be "pissy", as you so eloquently put it, when I wake up in the morning to find you gone without so much as an explanation." He sits next to me on the bed, but doesn't lay back. "Not to mention how you so rudely ignored me and talked to the rest of those people instead."

" _Those people_ happen to be our friends!" I say, glaring up at him.

"Your friends." He corrects. "They're all _your_ friends."

"What are you even talking about?" I sit up in my surprise. "You were the one who went along with my plan to save everyone! You mean to say you don't care about a single one of them?"

"I tolerate them. They should be grateful for that alone." He states blandly.

A moment of silence passes before I can gather my words. "Then… why? Why try to help them?"

"Because you care for them."

I raise an eyebrow. "Eh?"

"A chance like this doesn't come around twice. Even though you don't remember these people as your friends from the past two years, you managed to get close to all of them in such a short amount of time. Even more so this time." He shoots me a side long glance. "If I were to not assist you in trying to save them, it would have been that much harder to make you mine. It's as simple as that."

I flush. How can something so asinine sound so… sweet?

"More to the point though…" Byakuya says, leaning over me. The smirk playing on his face tells me that the situation his attitude got us in is the absolute last thing on his mind. "You were angry that I fell asleep on you. I can't help but wonder how far we'd gotten to fire you up so much…"

…Oh _hell_ no.

* * *

Sakura's P.o.V:

" _Ah, to be that much in love again…"_

I chuckle slightly to myself at Makoto's behavior. I'm uncertain what exactly happened for those two to end up in such a relationship, but it brings me back to when Kenshiro had first stolen my heart.

" _I'm glad that such a thing can happen in this situation at least."_ I glance back to the men's locker room. No change in the slight gap that Makoto left open. _"Hope in a hopeless place. A miracle in of itself."_

It's silent for a long time. I stare at the clock on the wall as the minutes quietly tick by, one by one. _"I knew when I came in here that it wouldn't be a fast process, but I'm at least hoping to get some sort of response out of him… regardless of however long it takes."_

And so I sit. Five minutes. Ten. Fifteen. While I was expecting to have to wait at least a few hours, I hear a voice just beyond the crack in the door, snapping me out of my clock-watching trance.

"…Ogre?"

His voice is quiet and a little raspy. I have no doubt that he's been crying. "Yes?"

"…" He falls silent again. "I figured it was. Who else would sit here and not talk my ear off?"

I raise an eyebrow, though he can't see it. "Were you hoping that someone would?"

"…No." He answers. "Tell me somethin'… do you remember too? All that shit that went down?"

"Not until recently." I answer.

"What about Makoto?" He asks.

I sigh. "From what I gather, both he and Byakuya seem to have known this entire time."

"…!" I hear a sharp clatter from inside the room. "You mean to tell me that those assholes knew what I did this whole fucking time?!"

"That is what I said."

"Then why!?" He yells. "They didn't…! Makoto was still so…!"

"Kind?"

"But _why_!?" He screams. The self-loathing he feels can be heard plainly in his screams. "Even knowing what I did to C-Chihiro… he still treated me like everyone else!"

"It's because that's who Makoto is." I answer. "He doesn't blame any of us who committed murder. He didn't blame me, Sayaka, Leon, or even Celestia. He doesn't blame anyone but Junko Enoshima."

"…You killed someone?" He asks. Whether it's out of genuine curiosity or him simply looking to forget what's happened for a moment I'm not sure, but I decide that I need to keep him talking.

"I did." I say. "I ended my own life."

"The fuck…? You of all people offed yourself?" He asks in disbelief.

"It was around this time actually." I turn my gaze up to the ceiling. "I was told that, unless I killed someone, that my dojo would be destroyed. I had no desire to kill anyone else, so I…" I trail off, the breathlessness I felt when I drank the poison rushing back all at once.

"…" Mondo scoffs. "Even in the end, you're the strongest one out of all of us. Didn't even think for a second that you'd bash someone's skull in."

"In all fairness, you didn't either." I respond, trying to mask my distress as much as I can. "Unless you mean to tell me that all this remorse is just a lie?"

"Oh, fuck off already! What would you know!?" He yells at me at the top of his lungs. "What I did… what I fucking did is inexcusable! After what he came to me for, trying to help everyone else, I…!" I hear a slam from inside. "Damn it! These fucking memories!"

"Memories…" I mumble. "You know, _he_ doesn't remember anything still."

Another slam. "Then why the fuck has he been running around with Makoto, huh!?" A clatter. "He must have known! Just fucking with me to get back at me! That must have been-!"

"You know Chihiro wouldn't do something like that!" I reason. I take his lack of a response and how the sharp slams of metal speed up as him knowing full well that I'm right. "Listen well. The only reason Chihiro even knows about what happened last time is because he was _told_."

The slamming stops. "…What?"

"I was told that Makoto had no choice but to tell him what happened. They didn't go into detail, but essentially Makoto let the fact that he knew Chihiro's gender slip." I sigh. "What he didn't do, however, was tell Chihiro how he died specifically. All three of us had to try and explain it to him after you left him alone with his head bleeding." I hear his breath catch from inside the room. After a few moments of debating what to say next, I decide to be as honest as possible. "…He wanted to talk to you."

"W-What!?" He yells. "Why in the hell would he!? I fucking _killed_ him, and he knows it!"

"But he doesn't remember it like you do." I reason. "He seemed to be more worried about you, actually…"

"Don't you say shit like that! Why the fuck would he-!"

The frustration that's been building up since I began trying to talk him down finally let's loose. "Quiet! Do you honestly believe that he would hold a grudge over something he can't even remember!? Chihiro is not that sort of person! He looked ready to cry when we told him how you tried to keep his secret for as long as you could! He _did_ cry when we told him about your execution! "Even now, my death is hurting him more than it ever hurt me."… That's what he said." Mondo goes completely silent. "…He blames himself for this." I sigh. "He thinks if he weren't climbing that shelf, then you wouldn't be so distraught. That you wouldn't have remembered what you did to him."

A tense silence follows. Its short, but it's long enough to tell me that he had to process those words of mine.

"Shit!" He screams suddenly. "…There's no way that this is his fault! That little moron…!" I feel my heart wrench as he starts to sob openly. "I killed him! **I killed him**! Why does he still care if I suffer!? I deserve it! He should _want_ me to, for fucks sake! So why…!?" Another slam rings from inside the room. "There's no way that this is his fault! If I hadn't killed him in the first place, he wouldn't have even…! Fuck!"

I decide to stay quiet for a moment, not only to let him get some of these pent up emotions out, but to find the words I want to say. This despair he's feeling… I need to talk him out of it. I need to at least get him out of there.

Otherwise Junko will get another win over me.

"...Chihiro is Chihiro, and Makoto is Makoto." I say finally. I do my best to speak loudly and clearly in an effort to talk over his sobbing fit. "Both of them seem to have a knack for forgiving some very unforgivable things in this unforgivable situation we're in. While we may do some terrible, horrible things... we are not defined by them. And, more so than all of that… we're _friends_. That's one fact that neither of them have ever forgotten."

With my little speech nearly finished, I turn away towards the exit. "I don't blame you for feeling like a monster, but the fact that you're suffering so much right now is proof enough to all of us that you're not. I wouldn't be surprised if you stayed in there regardless, but… don't look away from the truth. You may think that this is the worst of it, but there's far more that you don't know. A truth far worse that what we've experienced in here... Stand up and accept what you did to him, so you can face the next challenge. We need all the support we can get."

As I step out the door, just before it closes behind me, I can almost swear that I hear one last thing from behind me.

"…thanks, Ogre."

I allow a smile to break on my face for only a moment before I sober up. I can't forget.

I still have a job to do.

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

"Hey, Makoto!"

I look up from the book I've been reading for the past hour. "Chihiro!" I let out a sigh of relief when I see him. "How are you feeling? Any better?"

He gingerly reaches to touch the back of his head and lets out a small wince when he does. "It hurts, but it's not too bad. I took a few pain killers before I left the infirmary."

"That's good…" I frown. "Did you go to see him?"

"No." His hair sways slightly as he shakes his head. "I didn't want to risk it so early… Sakura had a point."

I laugh a little. "I guess that was hard to do though, right?"

He frowns. "What makes you say that?"

I smile up at him. "The screwy look on your face when you said that!"

He blushes a little and touches his cheek, speaking in a whisper. "I-It wasn't that hard once Alter Ego and I got working…" He starts a little. "Oh, but…! That's what I came looking for you for! We finally finished Alter Ego's preparations!"

"Oh, that's great!" I say, jumping to my feet. "So, he's ready to go at any time?"

He nods. "All we need to do is get him linked up to the school's network. He should be able to disarm all the guns and open every single area of the school to us in a snap!"

"What about the main door?" I ask.

"Er…" He shuffles his feet a little. "About that. I'm not sure if Alter Ego is going to be able to open it up."

My heart sinks. "What do you mean?"

"You said you opened it with a remote, right?" I nod. "It's system may be separate from the fully automated one that controls the cameras and guns… wait." He looks around. "Are you sure it's okay to talk about this here?"

I laugh a little and wave him off. "The library is a little different from the bath house, huh? The camera can't really get a good view of this corner though, so it should be fine if we keep quiet."

"R-Right." He says, not fully believing me. "Anyway, I won't know how the system is wired until I get the computer hooked up. I might be able to connect Alter Ego to the door once I have the way cleared, but even then that's a gamble! I may have to-"

"Chihiro, don't worry so much." I smile at him in a way that I hope is reassuring. "Let's just focus on getting one thing done at a time; the fact that you're here to help now is a way bigger advantage than we ever had before!"

He frowns and looks ready to say something, but suddenly the school's intercom crackles to life.

My heart drops.

"Ahem, ahem, attention all students!" Monokuma yells. "It's almost night time! More than that though, I have a loooooovely announcement for all of you! Be sure to come to the gym first thing in the morning to hear the good news! See you all then…"

The ominous tone he finishes with is more than enough to send shivers down my spine. "What do you think it's going to be…?"

"I-I don't know…" Chihiro says. "But… what are we going to do about Mondo? He's not going to be able to sleep in there! He'll get in trouble!"

"I wouldn't be concerned about that."

Chihiro and I whip our heads around to see Byakuya standing at the door. I immediately turn around. _"Crap!"_

"What do you mean?" Chihiro asks.

"I just saw him walking down the hall. Seems he's abandoned his little hideout in the locker room."

Both he and I let out a sigh of relief, but he immediately asks another question that makes me go on edge almost immediately. "Byakuya… what happened to your face? Your cheek is all swollen!"

Instead of answering, he merely scoffs and turns away, near slamming the door shut behind him. Chihiro turns his questioning eyes towards me. I feel my cheeks heat up and let out a little nervous laugh.

"Uhm… I _really_ had to go talk to Mukuro."


	21. Noble Phantasm

Makoto's P.o.V:

The atmosphere in the gym is tense, as it should be. Monokuma's ominous message the night before left far more questions than answers; it's enough to set anyone on-edge.

"What do you think she's plotting?" Mukuro asks from beside me. "She hasn't exactly delivered an official motive yet, so…"

"I don't know…" Glancing around, I try to take in everyone's appearances. Hiro and Leon are standing a lot farther off than the rest of us. On the other hand, Mondo seems to have at least put a lid on what had happened and is standing off to the side. I can practically feel Chihiro's desire to go and talk to him from his spot next to me.

"Chihiro, don't jump the guy." I whisper.

"I-I know, but…!" He sighs. "I know. I shouldn't rush it…"

I smile down at him and turn my attention back to surveying the crowd. Hina and Taka don't appear to be in bad spirits, and Toko has somehow flipped to Genocide Jack once again. Sakura has the same stoic expression that she usually has, and Byakuya…

Byakuya is still pretty well pissed about me punching him.

"Yo yo yo homos!" Suddenly Monokuma pops up from behind the podium, shattering the silence. "Why so quiet? Did something shatter your peaceful ways?" He giggles, clearly knowing full well what'd happened by now. "Anyway! Remember how I said I had good news?"

"Get on with it already." Mondo clips.

"Fine fine." He shrugs. "I _guess_ I should've told you this a while ago, but… you know that girl?"

"Girl?" Hina asks, tilting her head to the side.

"Yes yes, her!" Monokuma affirms. "That one girl! Well, as it turns out, I made a mistake!"

No one seems to be following Monokuma's cryptic words. "A mistake about a girl..?" Taka echos.

Monokuma nods in an almost sagely way. "A horrible mistake! One that cost a would-be murderer her life I'm afraid!" The confused silence is enough to warrant a cackle from the mechanical bear… Even I don't understand what he means! "Hmm? Still haven't put it together? I guess I'll just have to _show_ you then!"

Producing a small remote from behind his back, Monokuma makes a show of pushing the button in the most dramatic way possible. Smoke pours seemingly from nowhere as the floor just behind him begins opening with a rumble. After a drawn out silence, a small cage practically launches from the hole, landing with a loud thud right next to the podium.

"Now then!" Monokuma says, gesturing to the cage. "Does this clarify anything for you?"

The smoke obscures the view of the cage for a few moments, but I feel my heart nearly stop when it finally clears enough to see what- no, _who_ is inside.

"Kyoko!"

The pure shock everyone feels in this moment is tangible, the air electric with the collective surprise to see that someone they'd thought to be dead in front of them. The cage she's in is just large enough to house the bed she's laying on, along with a heart monitor placed right next to the bed. The steady rise and fall of her chest along with the bouncing beeps and boops of the machine are enough to tell us that she's really, truly… alive.

I feel myself tear up slightly at the sight of her. Even though she isn't awake… she's actually here! She's okay!

"K-Kyoko!?" Taka yells, truly in disbelief. "Wasn't she stabbed by Sayaka while she attempted to save Makoto!?"

"Ah, it's such a dramatic story!" Monokuma puts the back of his paw to his head. "After she was cut like a fresh piece of pork, poor little Makoto begged and pleaded with me to save her! Being the _generous_ soul I am, I agreed wholeheartedly! After all… what's the fun in such an easy to solve murder?!"

Leon's disgust is written plainly on his face. "You sick fuck…! You mean you killed Sayaka even though she was still alive!?"

"Well, that's just it." Monokuma shrugs. "I'd gone ahead with the class trial because I'd thought fo sho' that she was gonna kick the bucket… but then _poof_! She lives. What a twist, am I right?" He hits himself on his head in an almost cute fashion. "Whelp, we all make mistakes! The point is, she's alive! Isn't that fantastic?"

"I-It is, but…" Chihiro stares at the girl, searching for something. "Why isn't she conscious?"

"Oh, that's just the drugs." Monokuma jumps off the podium and kicks the cage, jarring it. Kyoko doesn't stir. "I've kept her baked as a cake ever since she showed signs of recovery. She probably would have found a way out if I didn't!"

"Okay then, next question…" Mukuro steps forward, glaring up at the bear. "Why did you keep her for so long? Junko… what do you want from us now?"

Unexpectedly, the bear stills. Instead of the Monokuma's obnoxious voice, Junko's voice is the one that answers.

"Why sis, _now_ you're taking interest in what I'm doing?" Junko audibly sighs. "You've been such a boring traitor, not that I'm surprised! Some soldier _you_ are… you haven't tried spying on me at all! What gives?"

"Junko, answer the question!" Mukuro visibly tenses, not pleased with her sister's question dodging.

"Wah, scary!" The model would have sound convincing in her fear if she didn't giggle right after. But then her voice drops to a dead-serious monotone. "You've certainly grown a pair since you've left me Mukuro. So useless. A soldier who doesn't follow orders is useless."

"Junko!" Mukuro yells. Her expression is pained; Junko twisted the knife in the most painful way possible for her sister.

"…Well, you see!" Monokuma starts moving again, annoying voice back in full force. "The reason I've kept Ms. Kirigiri this long is simple!" The bear starts pacing the stage. "I knew things would get boring eventually; I really did. I thought _for sure_ that someone would take the initiative to kill Sakura after I told you all that she was a traitor! You won't believe this, but then she has the absolute nerve to tell me to let Kyoko go! Can you believe it?!"

Everyone turns toward Sakura; her stony expression hasn't changed. "S-Sakura… why?" Hina gapes at her friend, completely awestruck.

"I couldn't just stand knowing full well one of our friends was being held captive." Sakura turns away from the brunette. "I had no choice."

"Which was suuuuper weird!" Monokuma quips, plopping down on the stage. "Especially since you didn't know she was alive! Upupu!" His red eye flares as he turns his attention to Mukuro and I. "You two are so chatty! Tsk tsk tsk!"

I glare hard at the bear, but he continues before I can say anything. "Anyway, that part doesn't matter much! What _does_ matter is the deal sweet little Sakura struck up with me!" His feet swing back and forth with his merriment. "A deal that ensures that she won't get another one over me! Nope nope, I've got you this time girl!"

"What are you talking about…?" Hina's voice wavers as she clings to her large friend. "This time? Sakura, what's it talking about?"

"Upupupu!" Monokuma hops back up to the podium. "Here's the deal everyone… you all have a choice to make! I could let Kyoko live and return her to you all… in exchange for Sakura's life."

I round on the girl. "Sakura!?" She refuses to look my way, instead glaring down at the bear.

"Of course, you could choose _not_ to sacrifice her…" Monokuma feigns depression, slumping over slightly. "But then I'd kill Kyoko out of the sheer disappointment I'd feel! I mean, you're really gonna vote against someone who's unconscious? How cruel!"

Ignoring the smattering of protests that follow, Monokuma turns away. "You all have until nine tonight to decide! That's a hardy twelve hours; plenty of time to make a decision! See you all then!" With that, both he and the cage holding Kyoko captive descend into the stage.

After a moment of silence, Hina practically growls at Sakura. "Sakura, what the hell!? Did you seriously agree to that!?"

"I did." She says simply.

"How… why!?" When Sakura doesn't answer her, she turns to face me. "You two… did you _make_ her do this? You bullied her into tossing her life away like this?!"

"H-Hina, that's not-"

"What is it then!? Monokuma said that she didn't know about Kyoko until you _told_ her!" She shoves me hard backward, right into Mukuro. "You and your jerk of a boyfriend must have done something to blackmail her! That's-"

"Hina!" Sakura catches her wrist as she prepares to shove me again. "Neither Byakuya nor Makoto had anything to do with my decision! This choice was made on my own."

"B-But Sakura, how-"

She simply shakes her head. "You shouldn't doubt your friends like this Hina. I told you this yesterday, didn't I?" At this, Hina only stares up at the martial artist. "I decided to offer my life in exchange for Kyoko's because it's just what needed to be done. I won't let someone else die as long as there's something I can do about it."

"…" Hina starts trembling as she shifts her gaze between Sakura and I, completely silent.

"Hina?" I venture. "Are you okay…?"

"…Again, you're too selfless." Hina says finally. "Always, always, _always_ too selfless!"

"H-Hina?"

"You're always putting others before yourself!" She yells angrily. "Just… just stop it! You need to think about yourself for once! Like at that tournament, and when Leon yelled at you, and when Byakuya slapped you…" She starts losing steam, anger quickly fading into panic. "Or that time in the infirmary…? Wait, when did that happen?"

I feel my heart sink. "Hina, calm down a little!"

"Wait, Makoto…! It _did_ happen! It did! Why are you yelling at me?" She starts trembling even harder, looking almost ready to fall to the floor. "Y-You've always been so nice to me… even after we sentenced you to death, you came back! When Sayaka… no, when Mukuro…" Before Hina spouts anything more, Sakura gently puts a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Sakura? Why…?"

"…You caught me last time too, Hina." She turns to face me with a horribly sad smile plastered on her tired features. "I'm… going to take her to the infirmary. Please, come by later. We need to talk about a few things before the clock strikes nine."

Not knowing what else to say, I simply nod. She escorts the girl out and leaves the rest of us in the suffocating aftermath of everything that had just happened.

Hiro grimaces. "What the hell? Did Hina just snap?"

"W-Well, I mean!" Chihiro blurts. "H-How would you react if you just learned your best friend decided to die? Y-You can't say you're not disturbed at all, can you Hiro?"

He takes a moment to mull it over before shaking his head. "Nah… it is a little shocking. I mean, that asshole is really using Kyoko as a poker chip? That's low!"

"In exchange for the life of another though…" Taka bites his lower lip in an almost savage way. "What… how on earth are we supposed to choose!? I can't simply decide to take away someone's life!"

"I can." Leon shrugs. "Isn't it obvious? Kyoko didn't do anything. Sakura is a traitor. It ain't a hard pick, ya know?"

Hiro frowns. "I mean, she did work for the chick, but… is it really okay for us to just to hand down a death sentence like that? S'not like she killed anyone…"

"To be fair kiddies," Jack says, not quite as energetic as she usually is. "Beefcake _did_ volunteer! A little too noble for my tastes, but there are worse ways to go down, yanno?"

I frown. She _said_ she volunteered, but I have my doubts. _"I don't understand… why now? Monokuma-_ _ **Junko**_ _had said that she wouldn't be getting another one over her… it's that's really the case, then there really isn't a point in worrying about being covert anymore."_ I look back up to the stage. The floor has molded seamlessly back together, so it's impossible to see where the door was. _"Without a doubt, Junko Enoshima knows about last time."_

Wordlessly, I look over to Byakuya. I signal for him to follow me out the door along with Mukuro and Chihiro.

Things are starting to get serious now.

* * *

Mondo's P.o.V:

" _Ogre…"_

I keep staring at the gym doors, even as Makoto and a few others rush out. _"That chick, Hina… did she remember too? Is… **that** what I looked like to everyone else?"_

I was up all last night trying to wrap my head around everything that's going on. As if this situation wasn't fucked up enough, Ogre had told me that there was something even worse going on that I didn't even know about yet. I still feel like scum for what I did, but there's one thing that even _my_ dumb ass managed to work out over the past few hours.

" _I don't have a right to look away from what's going on."_

No matter how shitty it gets, I can't just sit back. Chihiro is alive _now_. If I sit on my ass feeling sorry for myself, it might not stay that way. That's why as long as we're stuck in this hellhole, I'm not gonna let anything happen to him.

"Even if I gotta die in the process…" I mumble.

"Brother?" Taka walks up and taps my shoulder. "What do you think about all this? You've been quiet this entire time."

I rub the back of my neck and walk towards the door. I can't talk to him right now; I need to catch up to Chihiro and the others. "…I dunno man. Listen, I'll see you later. I need to figure some shit out."

"Ah, okay…?" He doesn't try to follow me as I shove the door open and rush out.

"Shit, where would they have gone?" I slow down once I'm out of the trophy room. "They can't have gone far, so where the hell…?" I stop dead in my tracks when I hear chatter come from just down the hall; looks like they went right to the infirmary. Quiet as I can, I stand behind the corner and listen in.

"…really make you do that?" I hear Makoto's voice come into focus.

"No. What she said was true." Ogre's voice comes in next, calm as hell for someone who's just been handed a death sentence. "I volunteered."

"But why?" Mukuro asks. "There isn't a reason for you to offer your life in exchange for hers! Junko would have just come up with something else that-"

"You don't understand." I glance around the corner. Sakura towers over everyone else even more than she usually does. It looks like her resolve is firm. "Chances are if she _did_ come up with something else to do with Kyoko, it would have been something impossible for us all to accomplish. I made the playing field as even as I possibly could."

"You seem awfully content for someone who's just decided to die." Byakuya quips. "You really are suicidal, aren't you?"

"B-Byakuya!" Chihiro practically growls at the prick. "Let her explain! Y-You know that's not…"

He snorts. "Whatever. I'm not wrong."

Sakura shakes her head. "I'm afraid to say that you are." She sighs. "I have no wish to die again. I'm only doing what I think is right…"

Makoto looks devastated, but he somehow manages to keep a straight face. "…You really thought this through? You're certain?"

She nods. "It was never a question to begin with, Makoto. It's in my power to save her... and so I will."

"What about Hina?" Chihiro asks. Even though his back is to me, I can imagine him fighting back the tears. "Does she…?"

"Probably." Sakura affirms. "She's asleep now, but I'll have to explain everything to her before the clock strikes nine."

"This raises another issue." Byakuya says. "The number of people who remember is increasing rapidly. It's… concerning."

"That's an understatement." Mukuro sighs. "These triggers people have are so touchy that I don't think we'll be able to skirt around telling them much longer… as much as I'd rather not."

Makoto bites his lip. "…do you think it's any better being told than actually remembering?"

"Well, definitely in Leon's case." Chihiro says. "He was so broken after his trial… I think he'd snap completely if he remembered his execution."

"Hiro and Taka as well…" Sakura sighs. "Neither of them are exactly easy to break news to. Then there's the slight issue with Toko…"

"Yeah, only her other personality remembers." Makoto tilts his head. "She actually remembers more than any of us at this point."

"H-Huh?" Chihiro asks. "What do you mean?"

" _Yeah, the hell does he mean?"_ I wonder. _"We already knew that Jack and Toko don't share memories, so…"_

"Wait." He stops. "We didn't tell you guys about Jack? Well… she's remembered us repeating this before."

"According to her, we've been through this several times." Mukuro grimaces. "I doubt she'd be able to give us an exact number though; from what she said, it could be in the tens or hundreds."

"T-That many…!?" Chihiro gasps.

Sakura's brow furrows. "…This is troubling news indeed. If what she said is accurate, doesn't that mean there's some outside force acting on us?"

"More than likely." Byakuya doesn't seem that bothered by the news, unlike the rest of them.

" _Shit, even_ _ **I'm**_ _bugged by that idea."_ I move back slightly so that they're out of sight. _"There's no way she'd be able to do this shit on her own. Not in a million fucking years."_

"With that said though…" He pauses. "You may as well come out now. Eavesdropping isn't nearly as effective as actually discussing a topic."

...Shit.

I step out into the open, realizing I've been made. Figures that _he'd_ be the one to point me out.

"M-Mondo!?" Makoto gasps. "Were you there the whole time!?"

"Yes, he was." Byakuya smirks in a way that makes me want to belt him in the stomach. "I'm surprised no one else noticed his ridiculous hairdo poking out from around the corner."

I glance up. Sure enough, my do would have given me away. "Oh, shut the hell up!"

"I must commend you for the fact that you were able to be quiet for that long though." He's still smirking as he takes a step forward. "I was almost certain you didn't have it in you."

"You tryna start a fight?" I glare at him, but then re-think what I'm doing and look away. "As much as I'd love to beat your ass down, I don't think we got time. I want you guys to tell me everythin' you know."

"Eh?" Mukuro looks stunned. "Are you certain? It's not going to be easy to-"

"Take in?" I cross my arms and walk past Byakuya, who looks sorta surprised at my ignoring his taunts. She nods. "Tch, whatever girlie. I already know it ain't sunshine and roses... not to mention it don't seem like we got a whole bunch of time left here. I wanna know what's goin' on so I can help."

From the corner of my eye, I see Chihiro hiding behind Sakura's massive form. I can't tell what the guy is thinking at all from his expression, which bugs me. Before I can even try to guess at it, Makoto speaks up.

"Alright." He nods and smiles up at me in that reassuring way of his. "Would you mind hanging around here until Hina wakes up? It'd probably be better to tell you both at the same time."

"Not at all bro." I shake my head. "Not at all."

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V:

He's here.

We're all standing in the infirmary now at Mukuro's suggestion. Hina hasn't stirred much since Sakura brought her in here an hour ago, so we're all standing in a semi-tense silence waiting for her to wake. I say semi-tense mostly because I'm fairly certain I'm the only one who is.

Because he's _here_.

He's leaning against the door with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, just waiting like the rest of them. I wasn't expecting for him to even be able to sit in the same room as me after yesterday; in fact, I wasn't expecting to see him _period_.

" _I need to talk to him!"_ I do my best to keep my gaze locked on other things, but it keeps drifting back to the tall boy in question. _"I know I shouldn't rush it, but I_ _ **need**_ _to! Even if he doesn't want to, I just need him to know that I don't blame him!"_

My head darts up as soon as I hear Hina stir, but it looks like she was just shifting in her sleep. _"Hina, please wake up in time…"_

A new thought enters my mind as I stare at the sleeping girl. _"She really does need to wake up… Sakura needs to be able to talk to her before nine. Not to give her information but… to say goodbye. It'd be too cruel for both of them if she went off to d-…"_

I shake my head. This train of thought isn't any better than the last one.

"…wait a minute."

I glance over to Makoto, who'd been deep in thought this entire time. Instead of the almost constipated look he had on his face earlier, a look of realization is in its place. He looks over to the camera on the wall and nods to himself.

"We may find a way around this yet! Guys, come here for a second!"

I frown a little out of confusion, but I comply anyway. Once we're all close enough, he starts speaking in a whisper.

"Chihiro," He starts, looking very serious. "You said Alter Ego is ready, right?"

"H-He is, yes." I say, not fully understanding. "Why-?"

"Alright, good!" He nods to himself, not answering my question. "Now… I have an idea. It's going to be risky, and it may not work exactly, but… I think it's our best shot."

"You thought of a way to save Sakura and Kyoko?" Mukuro asks, seemingly in disbelief. "How?"

"No- well, yes." He scratches his cheek. "Actually… what I was talking about was getting us out of here for good."

"Bro, you serious?" Mondo asks, looking excited.

Mukuro, on the other hand, looks like she'd taken a bite out of something sour. "You can't be serious. You _know_ you can't just get the button from her. It's not that simple anymore!"

"I am also a little skeptical." Sakura agrees. "Without knowing what's keeping us here, we're a little stuck in that regard."

"P-Plus," I interject, questioning my friend's sanity. "We only have about eleven hours left until the trial. How are we going to accomplish anything that fast and still fly under Junko's radar?"

"Well…" He sighs. "That's why I said it's going to be a long shot. We're going to need as much help as we can get at this point, which is why the very first thing we need to do is…" He trails off.

"Well?" Byakuya clips. "What exactly is the first step of this crackpot plan of yours?"

He bites his lip. The hesitation is clear on his face, but he steels himself and forces the words out anyway.

"We… we need to tell everyone what's going on. Right now."


	22. Y'all are Stupid!

Makoto's P.o.V:

"I know it's crazy!" I say, in a yell-whisper. "But we don't have any time left to wait! If we don't act now, either Sakura or Kyoko is going to die for sure!"

"We know that already!" Mondo shakes his head at me, hair swaying with the motion. "But dude... what good will telling them now do us? Hell, you guys haven't even fully told _me_ everything!"

"Think about it!" I motion to the door. "As of right now, we only have three people who still don't know about the truth: Hiro, Leon, and Taka. Hiro may be of questionable help, but I think that the other two would be a huge asset in getting us out of here!"

"Slow down for a second." Sakura chimes in, putting a hand on my shoulder. "How can you be certain they'd stomach the news well, if at all?"

"…We can't be." I shake my head. "But we're going to need all hands on deck if we're going to be able to pull any of this off."

"Allow me to suggest something then." Byakuya adjusts his glasses slightly. "We simply don't tell them about the situation. We'll let them in on something else: Alter Ego."

Chihiro frowns. "How would Alter Ego convince them to help though? Taka isn't a problem, but Leon and Hiro are already suspicious of everyone…"

"They're idiots." He crosses his arms, saying it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "If we at the very least can get the cameras and guns deactivated, there's no doubt in my mind that we should be able to get their full cooperation… while still keeping both our goals and pasts hidden."

"And what exactly is the goal here?" Mukuro asks, looking annoyed. "Sure, getting the cameras and the guns offline would be great, and so would saving Kyoko… but it doesn't bring us any closer to understanding what exactly is causing these events to repeat."

"But it's still a step in the right direction." Sakura says. "At least we'd be able to move freely."

"How do we go about this though?" Chihiro asks, fiddling with the edge of his skirt. "I-I mean… she's probably already listening to all of this now."

"She's probably away from the monitors." I say, glancing towards the camera. "Otherwise, Monokuma would have busted in here by now. That said... we do need to act fast. She could come back at any moment and watch past footage."

"…Then let's move." All eyes turn to Mukuro. "We need to get Alter Ego and push him into the system as soon as possible. I say a few of us go, and the rest of us stay here. The infirmary makes as good a base as any."

"W-Wait, so suddenly?" Chihiro shakes his head. "But we don't have everyone here yet, right? What if it takes too long for me to get the guns offline? She could just mow them down!"

"Allow me to handle that." Sakura starts off for the door. "I'll get them here, even if I need to drag them. Just give me a moment."

With that, she quickly exits. I turn back to Mukuro. "…I just had a thought. We _need_ to tell them, don't we? About everything, I mean." She raises a skeptical eyebrow. "Let's face it. If we're planning on getting answers about why everything is repeating itself, we're going to have to meet her in person again. Won't she just drop the news about the Tragedy on them? What about us re-living all of this?"

I see Mondo's look of confusion out of the corner of my eye, but ignore it. Now isn't the time to explain something that's a little irrelevant to our current situation.

Byakuya scowls. "…I hadn't considered that. You're saying it'd probably be easier for them to accept this if we were the ones to tell them, rather than Junko Enoshima. I suppose that makes sense."

"I still don't think it's a good idea." Mukuro, on the other hand, shakes her head. "Let's continue on with them not knowing for now. If the situation changes, we'll tell them what we can."

"Okay." I give a quick nod. "Chihiro, Mondo… We three will be the ones to go get Alter Ego and install him into the computer network. Mukuro and Byakuya will stay here for crowd control. You know how to handle Hina when she wakes up?"

"I suppose so." Byakuya affirms, slightly reluctant. "Sakura should be back fairly quickly; we'll have her pull Hina aside and talk to her while we keep the others out of earshot."

"A-And we're okay with this plan?" I turn back to face Chihiro. I see him take a quick glance over to Mondo. "All of us?"

"I know I am." Mukuro nods. "It seems like the soundest arrangement."

"Shit, I'm in." Mondo, who'd been silent, finally chimes in. He didn't seem to notice Chihiro's worried glance. "But why am _I_ coming with you guys? I dunno shit about what you're tryna do, so..."

"I… have a bad feeling, is all." I bite my lip a little. "Maybe it's me being paranoid, but I think having more people with us is better in this situation."

"I get that." The gang leader gives me a curt nod. "Let's haul ass!"

Chihiro pumps his fist up in the air. "Okay then! We'll do our best!"

"We'll get this done as soon as we can!" I stand in front of the door, ready to run. "Don't come out until we come back, or unless we're able to give you some sort of signal. Now then…" I look back to them, calmed somewhat by the determination in their eyes. "Let's move!"

I fling the door open and book it down the hall, Mondo and Chihiro hot on my heels. I'm not sure if it's entirely necessary for us to be running… up until a siren sounds off as we're move through the halls.

" **Hope's Peak Defense System: Online"** A robotic voice chimes out. **"Arming defense turrets… all students are advised to take cover. Repeat, Hope's Peak Defense System: Online…"**

A turret drops from the ceiling in the hallway right in front of the lobby, one that looks incredibly similar the ones set up at the main entrance.

"Shit, we've been made already!?" We quickly run past it before it can fire off any rounds. Mondo scoops up Chihiro by the waist and speeds up. "Where is this fucking laptop anyway!?"

"I moved it to the laundry room!" Chihiro yells. "Monokuma had been sniffing around the bathouse and my room! I needed to keep it safe, so…!"

"Got it!" I yell.

" _Faster, faster!"_ I urge myself, trying to keep up with Mondo. _"It's just a little further…!"_

We quickly clear the main hall and get to the dorm area, where another turret reveals itself and boots up. "Crap! We're almost there!"

The turret starts firing off rounds, practically trailing us with how close the shots are. I bash the door in with my shoulder, holding it open for Mondo and Chihiro before slamming it shut.

"Damn it!" I say between gasps. "I knew it was strange that she hadn't said anything…! She wanted us to do this!"

The gang leader, to his credit, doesn't look too worse for wear after our sprint. "We walked right the fuck into this…! Of course she'd be watching!"

"I can only hope that Sakura and the others made it back to the infirmary…" A sigh threatens to escape, but I quickly shake it off. "Okay, let's focus! Where did you hide the computer, Chihiro?"

Chihiro wiggles his way out of Mondo's grasp and reaches under a pile of clothes, producing the laptop. "It's still here…! Thank god!"

"Yeah, that's great and all…" Mondo hunches over slightly and glares at the door. "But how the fuck are we gonna get to that bathroom now? We got guns just waiting to pump us full of lead out there!"

"…" Chihiro frowns, glancing back and forth. "I-Is there anything in here that we can throw…?"

"Throw?" He shakes his head. "Nothing we got would even do damage to that thing!"

The programmer picks up a small pile of clothing. "That's not what we need it for! Y-You heard that voice right? Defense systems are usually completely automated... I think it's safe to assume that the turrets are motion activated."

"What's…? Oh!" I snap my fingers. "You want to use it as a decoy!"

He nods. "This will probably only work with this gun though, since the area is a lot more open than the main hall… that one is going to be harder to get past."

"We also don't know what'll be waiting for us on the second floor." I point out. "I know the bathroom is fairly close to the stairs, but…"

"We're just going to have to run. No fucking way around it, right?" Mondo looks oddly somber as he says this. "We may not make it up there in one piece… but hell, we _need_ to make it. We're already waist-deep in shit."

"Everyone is counting on us to do this…" Chihiro looks like he wants to start crying, but he's forcing himself not to. "Let's bundle a bunch of these together! We need it to be fairly big if we're going to activate the sensor!"

* * *

Byakuya's P.o.V:

The sudden ring of gunshots is the only warning we have of Sakura's arrival. She flings the door open, tossing in Leon and Hiro as if they were nothing. Taka slides into the room, with Jack vaulting over him to escape the barrage of bullets.

"What the _fuck_ is going on here!?" Leon yells.

"We're trying to deactivate the guns and cameras." Mukuro responds quickly, only to turn away a second later. "…Well, Makoto, Chihiro, and Mondo are…"

"Listen carefully, the four of you." I level a glare at the two main idiots laying splayed out on the floor. "Here is the situation. Unbeknownst to us, Chihiro had found and secured a laptop within the library. He'd been working on a program in hopes to hack into the school's system and get us a way out of here. As you can see, we've run into a minor snag…"

"A _minor_ snag!? They'll be mincemeat!" Hiro cries. "Where would they even do this, huh?"

"There's an untampered intranet port inside one of the bathrooms. Don't ask me why." I clip. "It's the men's room on the second floor."

"…" Taka looks remiss. "Why… why would they jump to do something this crazy!? Throwing themselves out in the line of fire like this…! Why would they do something so risky when they knew she was probably listening the whole time!?"

"To help us all, obviously." I cross my arms. "Shouldn't you be glad? If this works, we'll have free reign of the school. We could find Junko and force her to let us out."

"Why would I ever be happy about something like this…!?" He fumes. "They've thrown their lives on the line while the rest of us are just… sitting here!"

Sakura shakes her head. "Unfortunately… there's nothing we can do to assist them at this point. We have no choice but to sit and wait for their news."

"You… you said it's on the second floor, right?" Leon asks, looking thoughtful for once. "There's a gun right in front of the staircase though! They'll be dead for sure!"

"…!" I turn to him. "You're certain of this?"

"Duh! That's the one that was firing at us!" He affirms, pointing towards the door.

I quickly move past him and look out the small window on the door. Sure enough, he's right. "…We're going to need to disable it."

"Woah woah woah!" Jack yells, having the nerve to yank me back by my collar. "I refuse to lose both my sweet White Knight and his beau in the same day! You are _not_ going out there!"

"…I had no intention of doing so in the first place." I snap. "Listen up. The fact that it's inactive right now can only mean one thing; it's motion activated. While we don't know how many turrets are set up along the hall, we _need_ to take out this one. It's at a chokepoint where they won't be able to dodge any of the incoming bullets."

"Just how are we going to manage it though…?" Mukuro quickly begins scanning the room. "We need something that we could use to block the sensor…"

"Something to block it-?"

All eyes whip back towards the beds. Hina forces herself to a sitting position, looking exhausted.

"Hina…!" Sakura rushes to her side. "Are you okay? Do you feel ill?"

The normally ditzy swimmer shakes her head. "If… if you need to block a sensor… look in that chest over there."

I raise an eyebrow and look towards the chest in question. It's the blood cooler.

"Blood…?" Mukuro asks, furrowing her brow. "It's true that it'll keep the sensor from getting a clear picture of what's going on, but…"

"How long have you been awake, Hina?" Sakura ventures.

"…From the time that siren went off. Sorry." She shakes her head. "I…I didn't want to distract anyone by saying anything. I just... I remembered the blood being there, so I felt like I needed to speak up."

I sigh. How troublesome. "Well, we at least have an idea now… but how are we going to get the blood on the sensor? No doubt it'd be difficult to do without getting close… and that would be a suicide mission."

"Uh, hello?" Leon points to himself. "I'm here, you know? I could hit that thing with my eyes closed!"

I'm… surprised to say the least. Clearly my sentiments are shared with everyone here; they're all looking at him as if he sprouted a second head.

"I gotta say, Red… that's pretty surprising coming from the guy who basically told us we were all traitors!" Jack cackles. "Why would a pussy like you help us?"

Leon visibly bristles at the comment. "Hey! I know I said that! But…" He sighs. "Look, I may not be the smartest guy around, but even _I_ can tell that people don't run out into gunfire for shits and giggles! Mondo n' Chihiro… and even Makoto, I guess… they're trustworthy. So I'll help."

Mukuro opens her mouth to say something, but Leon cuts her off with an accusing glare.

"But don't you think for a fucking second that I'm even close to trusting you two broads!" He points an accusing finger between Mukuro and Sakura. "Traitors will always be traitors, no matter what!"

"Believe what you want." I walk over to the cooler and open it. "Just blind that turret before Makoto and the others come this way."

"Don't have to tell me twice…" Leon snatches up a packet of blood, tossing it up and down a few times. "…Okay. This shouldn't be too hard. I just run out there, throw it, and run back in."

"…Be careful!" Hina, in spite of her remembering what he'd done previously, seems concerned. Leon gives her a reassuring smile.

Taking a deep breath, he nods towards Taka. "On the count of three, open the door. I'm gonna be in and out, just you watch!"

Taka nods, readying himself. "You're positive Leon? I wouldn't want to force you into doing something dangerous."

"No, I'm sure." To his credit, he doesn't seem to be lying. "I was serious when I offered. If that broad thinks that computer is a serious enough threat to kill us all, I'll be damned if I don't help to get it where it needs to be!"

Shedding his jacket, Leon readies himself.

"One…"

He grips the bag tightly.

"Two…"

Dropping low, he lunges forward.

"Three!"

Perfectly on cue, Taka slings the door open. Leon bursts out of the room, letting the blood packet fly towards it's intended target. Before even looking to see the results of his throw, Leon rebounds off the wall and leaps back inside.

"Did it work!?" He yells, clutching his chest. "Did I manage to hit it…!?"

I move to glance through the open door. Sure enough, Leon's pitch was fast enough to beat the turret's activation; the blood exploded out of its package, completely covering the entire rig.

"A throw fitting of the Ultimate Baseball Star!" Taka cheers. "Now then, what-"

A sudden crack cuts off any celebration we may have enjoyed. Both Taka and I look back out into the hall; sparks have begun erupting from the turret.

Then, without warning, it begins firing.

"Woah-!" We pull our heads back in the nick of time, slamming the door closed. Taka quickly ushers everyone away from the door. "Get back! It's gone out of control!"

I click my tongue, watching rogue bullets fly down the hall. "The blood shorted it out…!? It's completely malfunctioning!"

"No shit, Captain Obvious!" Hiro cries, ducking low behind the furthest bed. "We fucked it up!"

"No, not quite!" Mukuro ventures over to the door, glancing out the window. "It's firing completely at random! It isn't as good as having disabled it completely, but… we took away its ability to aim!"

"With luck, it's ammunition will run out before Makoto and the others make it back here." Sakura frowns. "But… worst case scenario, they'll have to maneuver a hail of bullets."

"It's better than having something that's able to target them… right?" Leon asks, clearly unsure. "Right?"

"…" I scowl.

I can only hope that's the case.

* * *

Makoto's P.o.V:

"Okay!" I tie the last bit of clothesline around the bundle we'd squished together. "Decoy: complete!"

Mondo screws his face, clearly not satisfied. "We sure this thing is gonna distract it long enough?"

"We don't have any other options left…" Chihiro hugs the laptop tightly to his chest. "We need to get to that port! Even if it only distracts it for a moment…!"

"That's right!" I move towards the door, heaving the laundo-ball off the table. "Now… I gave it some thought. I think our best strategy for getting past the gun in the main hall is splitting up. The closer we are together, the harder it'll be for us to move past it."

"So… one of us should be a decoy?" The gang leader points a thumb up to himself. "Hell, I'll do it-"

" _No._ " I look him dead in the eye as I say this. "Not a decoy. If one of us tried to get its attention, they'd be dead in an instant! We only managed to barely avoid this one while we were running at top speed, and that's only because it was just starting up. We just need to focus on running; no more, no less."

"So just… don't run close together." He scowls. "I guess… still like my idea a whole lot more, that's for damn sure."

"Yeah, and I like the idea of you _not being dead_." I shove the pile of clothes towards him. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to open the door, and you're going to throw the ball out into the turret's range. We'll make a break for it as soon as it starts to fire off. Sound good?"

Chihiro moves to stand next to me. "I-I'm ready!"

"Now or never, I guess!" Mondo poises himself to throw. "Do it!"

I fling the door open, and our makeshift projectile goes sailing. Much to my relief, the turret begins to follow it's path of motion.

"Go, go, go!" I yell. Once again, we're running like madmen down the halls of the school. "Don't stop for anything guys! Don't stop until we reach the second floor's bathroom!"

We're able to clear the dorm lobby within seconds. As soon as we round the corner to the main lobby, we split apart and go in separate directions around the main pillar where the turret is posted. Chihiro and Mondo break left, and I hang right. Much to my dismay and relief, the turret picks _me_ to follow.

"…!" The bullets are practically nipping at my heels, up until the point where one grazes my shoulder. It stings, but the pain only drives me to move faster.

We quickly reconvene on the other side of the hall, but…

"What the fuck?!" Mondo screams.

A turret is hanging just in front of the staircase, spinning out and firing at random. The stretch of hall we're on is riddled with bullet holes; the walls, the ceiling, the doors to the other rooms, as well as the floor have all taken a nasty beating.

"K-Keep going!" I yell. "We can make it, we just…!"

I press myself forward, dodging left and right in an effort to keep out of the entirely random line of fire.

"Hie-!" I whip my head around at the sound of Chihiro's sudden cry. To my dismay, it looks like he'd taken a shot directly to his calf. Blood spurts out of the wound as he trips, sliding closer to where I am.

In spite of what my body is screaming at me to do, I turn around. "Chihiro-!"

Mondo, who'd pulled ahead of us, does a one-eighty at my cry. He doubles back immediately, scooping both of us up in one sweeping motion.

"Wha-!?"

"M-Mondo, let me go!" Chihiro fumes. "You won't be able to dodge anything like this! Just take the laptop and run!"

As if to prove his point, a bullet grazes Mondo's cheek as he stands there. He doesn't flinch.

Instead, he dashes forward, not bothering to try and dodge any of the incoming bullets.

**"Huaaaa!"**

"Mondo, stop!" I yell. I can feel his body recoiling from the shots it's taking as he makes a mad dash down the hall. The only time he turns out of the way is when either Chihiro and I are in the line of fire.

He clears the stairs with a couple of leaps, not pausing as another turret drops down from the ceiling of the second floor. Once we're in the bathroom, he unceremoniously drops to his knees.

"Mondo!" Chihiro cries, pulling both of us free of his grasp. "What is _wrong_ with you!? You're…!"

"M'fine…" He mumbles.

I haul myself to a stand, quickly shoving open the door to the very same secret room we'd come across last time. Completely untouched, books line the shelves… and the cable is right where it was the last time.

But none of that is important right now.

"Quick, in here!" I run back to help Chihiro up, but he's already forced himself to a stand with the sink, clutching the laptop with his free arm.

"I'm fine!" He assures, hopping over to the door. "J-Just…! Just grab him, okay!? I'm going to get started!"

I nod, sliding under one of Mondo's arms to drag him into the room.

"What were you thinking!?" I all but yell. "It was totally reckless, and look at what you got in return for it…!"

He doesn't answer. I see his jaw clenched from the pain… I don't think he _can_ answer.

As soon as I get into the room, I slam the door shut and lock it. I sit him down against the wall and peel off his jacket, revealing the total scope of the damage.

Two shots to the right arm, one to the left shoulder, three in his right leg… I have a sneaking suspicion that the only reason he _didn't_ take any body shots was because of the fact he had us clutched to him the entire time he was running.

"Tch… you idiot!" I start shredding his jacket into pieces. His thigh is bleeding pretty badly; I need to work on that first.

"Worked… didn't it?" He grits out, not bothering to comment on my desecration of something he holds dear. "We made it, n' the laptop is in one piece…"

"…We would have made it even if you hadn't done this!" My scolding is half-hearted at best, given that I'm not sure _we_ would have. I glance over to Chihiro.

Rather than being distraught like I was expecting, he's shifted completely into work mode. With the laptop perched on his good leg, he's sitting up against the wall next to the network outlet, furiously typing away as he and Alter Ego breach the system.

"…He's amazing." I mumble. I quickly get back to tying off the worst of his wounds. "Listen, I'm just trying to stop the bleeding for now. We'll be able to bandage you up a lot better once we get back to the infirmary."

"Figured as much." He gives me a strained grin. "Really appreciate the help, bro."

I can't tell how much time passes. I managed to get the blood to stop with relative ease; thankfully, it seems he avoided getting hit in any major arteries. I lay back against the wall next to Mondo, making sure to glance his way every so often to make sure the bleeding doesn't start again.

 _"It's... strange though. I would have expected Junko to sabotage this room as soon as she remembered."_ The fact that it's still completely in tact is actually somewhat unnerving. She should have known we'd connect Alter Ego again. _"I know Chihiro said Monokuma was snooping around for the laptop, but she had access to this room the **whole time**."_

Why didn't she take away the one thing we could use to get the upper hand? It doesn't make any sense.

Time continues to drag by. I'm about to doze off, but I'm suddenly shocked awake by the intercom crackling to life.

" **Hope's Peak Defense System: Offline. Commencing cooldown procedure."**

"…!" I can't help the giddy squeal that escapes my throat. "Chihiro! Alter Ego! You two did it!"

Chihiro lets out a shaky sigh, placing a hand to his chest. "I…I did, didn't I?" He leans his head back against the concrete wall. "I…I've got control over the school."

"Can you see where Kyoko is…?" I venture. Chihiro looks back down to the screen, biting his lip in concentration.

"…The cage Kyoko is in seems to be stored under the stage in the gym!" With a few swiftly entered commands into the keyboard, he smiles. "I've got her! Alter Ego, I'm raising the cage now; monitor the cameras to make certain no one gets to her before we do!"

"Yessir!" Alter Ego happily cheers.

"Now, about Junko…" He frowns, face scrunching slightly. "…I can't seem to get a solid read on her location. None of the cameras have eyes on her…"

"That's fine! She's probably in the Monokuma control room, in the Data Center. I wouldn't think there'd be cameras in there." I heave out a sigh of relief. "But Chihiro... you got rid of the guns, the cameras, and any other traps she may have hidden in the school! That's all we can ask for!"

"I knew you'd do it, Chi…" Mondo gives him a lopsided smile. I frown, noting how pale he looks.

"Oh, right!" Shoving myself off the wall, I rocket over to the door. "I'll go get help now, okay? You both need medical attention, stat!"

I hear a muffled "Don't trip!" as I run outside. To my dismay, I almost do.

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V:

Dragging my laptop with me, I scooch my way over to where Mondo is sitting. He isn't on the brink of death, which I'm truly grateful for, but that doesn't mean he doesn't look close to it. He's pale, sweaty, and coated with his own blood.

Initially I'd gotten closer to fuss at him, but the way he smiles down at me once I'm next to him completely destroys anything I'd planned on saying. "How's the leg?"

"P-Probably a lot better off than yours…" I grumble, inspecting my wound and his many side by side. I know the bullet that hit me went straight through my leg, but I don't know if any of his did. "…We're both probably going to need surgery, you know. You a lot more than me."

He snorts. "Gee, that's reassuring."

"S-Sorry…" I blurt. "…I'm sorry for a lot of things, actually. I'm… upset that you got hurt on my account."

It's a loaded statement, and both he and I know it. It isn't just about how he just took a bunch of bullets to help Makoto and I. The weight of my words shows itself well enough on his face…

"Uhm…!" Before he thinks of what to say, I start again. "Look, I know that this isn't the time for this and all, but… I need to say it. I… I don't want you feeling guilty over something that didn't necessarily happen between us! I mean, it did, but it _didn't_! I know that you'd never do anything like that to hurt me now, so…!"

"How do you know?"

I cut my words off short. The look he's giving me is intense; almost scary in a way. "How can you be sure I won't hurt you again, Chi? That I won't fly off into another rage and bash your skull in like I did before?"

I feel a tinge of anger as he says this. "How can I be…? You just took _bullets_ for me, you big dingus!"

"So what if I did, huh?" He spits, looking away from me. "That doesn't make me any less of a violent numbskull. I'm a gang leader, remember? It kinda comes with the fucking title."

"You aren't…!"

"Don't." He sighs. "Just… don't, Chi. I don't deserve anything you've got to say to me. Shit, I don't even deserve to be in the same _room_ as you."

"How could you say that!?" I ask. I feel my entire body tense with the anger I feel. "The fact that you'd even think that-!"

"I'm _trash!"_ He yells. I can feel him start to tremble slightly from his place beside me. "I murdered you! That's why I followed you guys out there, and its why I was more than willing to come with you and Makoto! I swore that, as long as we were here, as long as you were in danger… I'd do anything to keep you safe. Even if it killed me, even if it meant me having to kill someone _else_ , I'd do it all just so you could live…!"

I grimace. _"Surely he can't mean that...! There's no way he'd seriously... do that..."_

The look on his face speaks volumes though.

He means it with every fiber of his being.

He looks down to his hands, where the cuts from when we first got here are still faintly visible. "I… can't go on being your hankie, Chihiro. If I'm gonna protect you, that means I need to protect you from me, too. I… I can't imagine going through all of that again. I'd fucking end it myself if I even _scratched_ you! That's why, after this…"

" _I can't let him say it."_

Acting purely on instinct, I force myself to my knees.

"After this, we need to stay away-"

" _ **I can't let him say it!"**_

He turns my way… and I kiss him.

Mondo immediately tenses up from the action, like I expected him to. I pull away, not wanting him to react on his own.

"No, that's wrong! Everything you said is completely wrong!" I furiously shake my head. "I don't care about what happened before, okay!? It doesn't matter if I remember it happening or not! Why are you trying to punish the both of us for something we can't control _now_!?" My voice breaks as I valiantly bite back a sob. "I don't want to lose you, Mondo! I care about you so, so much…! So please, don't say something so careless! Don't say you'll toss your life away just because you feel guilty!"

I can't stop it anymore. Tears roll down my face, hot and unforgiving.

"If you don't want to hurt me ever again, then don't say such horrible things about yourself!"

I let myself cry for just a few moments before I try to get a grip. _"Did I... did my words get through to Mondo?"_ I wipe away a few tears in an effort to get a better look at him.

He's just… staring at me, mouth agape. I'm almost pleased that I got him to stop saying those awful things, until I realize that it wasn't my words that left him speechless.

...What did I just _do_!?

" _I shouldn't have kissed him!"_ I think, crying for a whole new reason now. _"I forced it on him without thinking…! That's no way to get someone to stop talking! It's lip molestation! I can't believe I did that! What should I-!?"_

My train of thought crashes to a halt. The world may as well have just stopped spinning, for all I know.

Because gently, ever so gently, Mondo put his lips to mine. It was such a quick peck that I wasn't sure it'd happened at first… but it did.

"…Jesus, what am I going to do about you…?" Mondo gently pulls me to him, giving me a light hug. I can hear his heart beating fast… which probably isn't good, given his current condition. "Look at what a fucking mess you've made me. I can't seem to do anything _right_ when it comes to you, Chi…"

He lets out a soft, self-depreciating laugh. "After all the fucked up shit I've done, after all the times I've made you cry, you still did something like that…? Aren't I supposed to be the stupid one around here?"

"It… isn't stupid." I mumble. "Those were my true feelings… I can't help it. I'd… I'd hate it if you started avoiding me, and I'd hate it if you died. I don't want you to do anything horrible just because you want to protect me. I just want to be near you, Mondo. That's all."

"…" His heart beat speeds up slightly. "It shouldn't be okay for me to be happy about this. I don't deserve it…"

"Yes, you do." I look up towards him, feeling a little bit like taking a risk. "D-Do I need to make you be quiet again…?"

He jumps slightly before glancing down at me. "…I wouldn't mind it if you did."

"Fine…" I lean up, ready to claim my third kiss from him. Just as our lips are about to connect…

"Oof-!"

The door flies open without warning, smacking Mondo's head into the wall.

"Chihiro, Mondo, are you both okay!?" Leon busts in, with Hiro and Makoto in tow. "Where are- oh."

"M-Mondo, are you okay!?" I squeal, face crimson.

He glares up towards Leon, clutching his head. His arms are so tense that blood starts leaking from the wounds once more.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you!"


	23. Dearly Beloved

Makoto's P.o.V:

"Clear the way, guys!"

I fling open the door to the infirmary, moving both Chihiro and myself out of the way so that Leon and Hiro can drag Mondo inside. The only occupants of the infirmary are Byakuya and Mukuro; that must mean that the other four went to retrieve Kyoko.

"..." Byakuya looks unnerved, to say the least. "You really weren't exaggerating when you said he was full of holes."

"Why would I lie about such a thing…?" I grumble, walking inside. I sit Chihiro down on one of the stools. He shoots me a grateful smile. "Quick, Mondo; what's your blood type? You lost a lot, so…"

"AB." He clips. Mukuro hurries over to the blood cooler and quickly produces a pack of the appropriate typing. As soon as Hiro and Leon lay Mondo down on one of the available beds, Mukuro walks over and begins assessing the damage.

"…It looks like some of the bullets are still inside you. I'm going to have to get those out." The soldier grimaces, quickly setting up the transfusion. "At least you guys got the bleeding to stop well enough…"

"Fuckin' figures…" He half-heartedly gripes, clutching his head. "Just get me some painkillers before you start digging around my damn flesh, alright?"

"Fair enough." She walks over to the cabinets and produces a small bottle. "What happened to your head though? You've got quite a bit of a lump…"

Mondo gives Leon a scathing look, to which he quickly looks away. Mukuro wisely decides not to push the subject.

Just as she doses out the pills for him to take, the door flies open.

And my heart soars.

Laying unconscious in Sakura's arms is Kyoko. As she walks in and lays the sleeping detective on the last free cot, I can't help but notice that I'm trembling. I'm torn between crying and hugging her.

"Relax Chimichanga, Lavender Town Remix over here is fine!" Jack throws an arm around me. Seems like she noticed my excitement. "You can explode your feels on her after she wakes up, kay?"

Hina, to her credit, doesn't seem to be too worse for wear… although she's hovering rather close to Sakura at the moment. It occurs to me that I may need to pull her aside to talk, but Byakuya walks over and leans down to whisper in my ear.

"Sakura already spoke with her. She's seemingly accepted our current situation… whatever it may be."

I decide not to reply verbally, only offering him a quick not of acknowledgment Looking around the room, I can't help but notice that one body is unaccounted for. "Where's Taka?"

"Ah, yeah, so…." Hina laughs a little, rubbing the back of her head in an almost sheepish way. "My stomach kinda growled really loud while we were leaving to get Kyoko. He insisted on breaking off to get us all something to eat."

…Thinking about it, I could really go for something to eat myself. I don't know what time it is, but dodging non-hypothetical bullets can really work up an appetite. "So... let's discuss our next course of action after we bandage these two up and once Taka gets back. We may have the upper hand now, but that doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet."

Everyone present choruses their assent. Mukuro hands Mondo the pills. "Keep in mind that it's still going to hurt, even with as much as I've given you. You'll need to brace yourself."

The gang leader grunts, swallowing them dry. "I already know that they gotta come out no matter what… just make it quick, 'ight? How long till you can get started?"

Mukuro glances to the clock on the wall. "…I'd like to say at least thirty minutes. I don't want to rush into it and cause you any unnecessary pain."

"Tch, that long?" He drops his head down to the pillow. "Well… that's fine, I guess. I'm not gonna try to be a hero just to get them out faster. So, anyway…"

I tune out of their conversation and turn to Chihiro, who'd also apparently been listening. Deciding not to waste any more time, I kneel down and quickly get to work on Chihiro's leg. He has to bite back a few winces when I apply the disinfectant, but he manages to stay perfectly still as I work. In only a few minutes, I have his wound acceptably wrapped.

"Okay, done!" I stand and stretch out my back, depositing the unused items on the table. "You have a nice little hole in your shin, but I don't think the damage was too bad."

"I-I'm just glad the bullet didn't get stuck inside…" He muses, swinging his leg around a bit. "…but I don't think I'm going to be able to walk on this for a while."

"I wouldn't want you to even if you thought you could!" I laugh. "Do you want some medicine for the pain?"

He shakes his head. "No, it isn't that bad… I'd rather save them for another time."

I don't fully believe him, but I decide not to press the issue. Instead, there's a question that I'd been meaning to ask him since Leon slammed Mondo's head into the wall.

"Say, Chihiro…?" I lean up against the wall next to his chair. I keep my voice to a whisper so that we don't interrupt any of the other conversations going on. "What were you and Mondo doing in that room before we came in?"

He starts a bit, cheeks tinting the faintest shade of pink. "W-What do you mean?"

"Well…" How to go about this? Part of me wants to tease him for it, but another part of me is screaming that it isn't the time. "You two were sitting awfully close… and your face was totally red, too. Kind of like how it's turning now."

And sure enough, within seconds he's blushing scarlet. I try and fail to suppress a laugh, earning me a light smack on the shoulder.

"You're so mean…" He sighs, playing with the edge of his skirt again. "Y-You probably know the answer to that already, you jerk!"

I laugh again, but I sling an arm around his shoulder to show that it isn't mean-spirited. "I'm glad you managed to work things out with him. When's the wedding?"

"We-!? Y-You're the worst!" He turns his head away, but I can still see the small smile that worked its way onto his face. "W-Why do you choose now of all times to tease me…?"

"Because I'm trying to make light of this pretty weird situation." I answer easily. "It worked, didn't it? I got you to smile."

"Yeah, well… how are you holding up, anyway?" Chihiro turns back towards me, giving me a concerned look. "That whole stunt couldn't have been easy on you… and now we suddenly have Kyoko back. You must have all these emotions swirling around in you right now."

I scratch my cheek. "You aren't wrong about that. I really __am__ glad she's back, it's just… how are we going to explain this to her? To everyone? We don't even have a full deck of cards yet, you know? There are so many more questions than answers…" My gaze travels to the floor. I can't help the sigh that escapes me. "I just don't know where we should go from here."

He nods a bit, showing his understanding. "I-It is a pretty difficult situation to explain… but you said it before, right? She said she remembered right before Monokuma carted her off. Breaking the news to her shouldn't be too difficult."

"I guess not, but…" I look over to the girl in question. She shows no signs of stirring. "I thought she was dead for sure, Chihiro. The fact that Junko kept her alive all this time is… baffling. She clearly understands the situation more than we do, and yet she chose to keep someone potentially dangerous to her alive. And that's not the only thing that's bugging me…"

I explain to him the issue with the secret room on the second floor. His brow furrows in thought.

"That… really __doesn't__ make sense, actually." Chihiro glances over to the laptop he'd placed on the counter. "If that cord weren't there, we wouldn't have been able to do a thing… but should we really complain?"

"Of course not… but…" I sigh again. I know full well that we should be grateful that she didn't touch it, and yet… my gut is screaming at me that it isn't so simple. "I can't help but feel there's more to this. Junko must feel she has an advantage somehow…"

The programmer purses his lips together in thought. Just as he seems to find a response, Taka bursts into the room, carrying several bags full of snacks and drinks.

My stomach lets out a loud growl at the sight of it, earning a snort out of the small boy next to me. "…Whatever. Let's worry about that later."

* * *

An hour passes. After we ate, Mukuro set to work extracting the bullets out of Mondo's wounds. If there was anything to be said about him, it'd be that his pain tolerance is insane; he didn't cry out once.

That didn't stop him from passing out as soon as she was done. None of us could really blame him, of course; all of that blood loss was bound to drain him. Chihiro immediately asked me to move his chair next to his bed, cheeks flushing slightly at the request. I happily complied.

After everyone went off into their own conversations, I moved to sit beside Kyoko's bed. I end up staring hard at her face, trying to mind-will her to wake up. I almost feel creepy for it, but that thought is quickly overshadowed by how desperately I want her to wake up.

"That isn't going to work, you know."

I jump. Glancing away from the detective, I see Byakuya staring down at me, looking tired.

"I know that…" I sigh. He leans against the wall next to me. "I __know__ that, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. I just… I really want to talk to her!"

"..." He scowls, turning his gaze down to the girl in question. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't value her insight. A fresh set of eyes on the situation may help."

I raise an eyebrow at his tone. "That doesn't sound convincing. What's the matter?"

Byakuya doesn't answer immediately. An emotion I can't quite place flashes in his eyes before he closes them, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Are you going to be fawning over her once she wakes up?"

"Probably." I answer honestly. My blunt response clearly catches him off guard, if the way his eyes fly open is any indication. "Is that so surprising though? She's my best friend!"

"..." The heir scowls. If I didn't know better, I'd say it looked like he was pouting. "I'm not keen on that idea."

I squint at him. "Are you serious? You're __jealous__?"

"By no means am I… jealous!" Byakuya turns his head away, but surprisingly enough stays put next to me. "I'm simply not comfortable with you, my alleged partner, clinging to another person. Given her current state, however… I suppose I'll be forced to allow it."

"...Two things." I give him a hard stare. "One, even if you __didn't__ allow it, I'd still be taking care of her right now. That's a fact. And __two,__ what the heck do you mean by "alleged?" We're definitely a couple!"

"I'm fairly certain a normal partner wouldn't throw a punch the minute things got intimate." He counters, all but glaring at me. I flush in indignation.

"Hey! That was only the second time!" I look away, suddenly remembering how he pinned me down in his sleep-induced haze. "I only hit you because you decided to be an ass about how much I liked it. No more, no less. Get off your mood swing already."

I know a lot of our arguments these past twenty-four hours have been almost entirely caused by misunderstandings, I do! Even knowing that though, I still can't help but feel he's been making it a lot worse by being… himself. Its a little infuriating.

"...Oh?" He pauses. I'm certain for a moment that he's going to lay into me again; Byakuya bends down so that he's eye level with me. I jump at the sight of his smirk. "You never told me that you enjoyed it __that__ much…"

My heart skips a beat. "Asshole. Shouldn't that go without saying…?"

His eyes widen a fraction for just an instant, smirk quickly slipping back into place after a moment. "I see. I'll apologize just this once, then. My oversight is what caused you to act so crudely towards me, so I'm technically to blame. I'll be sure to refrain from questioning your attraction to me in the future."

"You…!" I feel my cheeks flush… for more reasons than one. "That's what you've been so bitchy about? You thought I didn't…?" I fight the urge to bury my head in my hands. "More importantly, was there even an apology in there?"

He sighs a bit. "I suppose it's alright to admit to you that I haven't been in the best state of mind recently… My pushes for us to become more intimate were poorly timed, to say the least. I do feel… better, hearing you say that."

"U-Uh…" I back up a fraction. Still not an apology, but I'm not going to push my luck. "It's okay Byakuya. This situation isn't exactly the best time for anything, really."

"T-That said…"

My eyes whip down to the girl in front of me when a newer, far more hoarse voice joins in the conversation.

"I can't say that this isn't the most… unexpected… of developments."

The tears come hot and fast. Those familiar lavender eyes are giving us both an appraising look, even in her groggy state.

"K-Kyoko…!"

I end up launching forward and giving what could very well be the hardest, most forceful hug I've every given anyone.

Ever.

* * *

I ended up having to pry myself off of Kyoko so that she could get something to eat and drink. In spite of being drugged up for an extended period of time… she wasn't any worse for wear. In fact, the stab wound Sayaka had given her was treated perfectly; there wasn't even a little inflammation. We'd wanted to wait to fill her in on the situation until she'd had a little more time to wake up, but she ended up demanding an explanation on the spot.

_"_ __I've missed a lot this time. We don't have a moment to spare."_ _

Saying that though, she had Leon run over to the warehouse to grab a pen and a notepad before she began grilling all of us for every single piece of information we had. She didn't let a single detail slip through the cracks either; we were there for a good hour or so explaining everything that's happened so far. Naturally she already knew most of it, but was more than taken aback when Byakuya took her notebook and hastily wrote down what we knew about our more… peculiar situation.

She was especially perplexed by Mukuro's presence.

"So… if what I'm understanding about all this is accurate…" Kyoko flips her notebook shut, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Not only have we gained the aid of Junko Enoshima's older sister, but we've somehow managed to take away her control of the school?"

"K-Kind of." Chihiro fiddles with his skirt in his trademark sign of being uncomfortable. I'm not surprised, given that he hasn't actually spoken with the intimidating girl all that much. "We only know that we have control over the guns and cameras… I-I don't know if the same can be said for the Monokuma units. As far as I saw, they work on a different system…"

"Even so, we've managed to greatly limit her options…" Kyoko nods towards the programmer in approval. He brightens up considerably. "Now then… I have a suggestion for how we can proceed. Since we have control of the main system… I suggest we head to the data center and disable the Monokuma Control Room."

Mukuro nods, speaking up for the first time since Kyoko woke up. "Tactically, it makes sense. The Monokuma units are strong enough to kill most of us with just their claws, never mind the bombs each of them have…"

"After that point…" Kyoko taps her pen to her chin in thought. "I suggest we head towards the trial room."

"Trial room?" Taka crosses his arms. "What could we possibly find there…?"

"I'm unsure as to what exactly we'll find, but…" Kyoko sighs a bit and leans back on her pillows. "That seems to be the only real uncharted territory we have at this point aside from the fifth floor… and I doubt we'll find anything of use up there."

"That's right… we can go up there now." Hiro muses. "I mean, it still won't hurt to give it a peek. Who knows what we might find up there?"

Kyoko, naturally knowing what lies up there already, only shakes her head. "I have no doubt in my mind that Junko Enoshima would only have planted what she'd __want__ us to see up in those classrooms. We're trying to find what she wants to keep hidden."

"And to do that…" Sakura looks over to the door. "We need to make sure that she can't surprise us with anything else unpleasant. I apologize for asking you to do this so soon after your injury Chihiro, but…"

"Its not a problem! I-I'll go and disable the system now!" Chihiro moves to stand, but winces once his injured leg hits the floor. "U-Uh… would any of you mind giving me a hand?"

Taka looks like he's about to volunteer, but Jack promptly shoves him back and steps forward. "Ask and you shall receive, my little lamb! Don't you worry your pretty little head; Auntie Jack will slice anything that comes near you to shreds!"

"Er, Jack… is that such a great idea?" I shoot her a worried look, causing her to cackle. Chihiro jumps.

"Mango Pudding, you need to have a little more faith in your resident serial killer! While I may love killing cute boys, I __love__ being able to stay near you and my White Knight even more! I'd never do anything to jeopardize this sweet group dynamic and miss my chance to record your next makeout session!"

Hiro makes a gagging noise.

"Either way, you'd best bet that not a single hair will be harmed on his adorable little noggin!" Jack sweeps Chihiro up bridal-style, much to his horror and dismay. "Now then, let's get going Chipmunk! We have a date with destiny!"

Jack launches out of the room like a bat out of hell. Chihiro's squeals of disapproval can be heard even as Jack clears the first flight of stairs.

"Is he really gonna be okay with her…?" Leon grimaces out the way they came.

"...Unfortunately, I have no reason to doubt her sincerity." Byakuya looks totally annoyed. "Her motives, while __unseemly,__ are well within her scope of reasoning. She won't let him be harmed."

"I sort of doubt she'd still be in that little hole anyway…" Hina stretches, sighing as her pack pops loudly. "Junko, I mean. She'd have no place to hide if they cornered her in there! She prolly hightailed it out of there as soon as she lost control of the school!"

"Ding ding ding! Bonus points to the ditzy swimmer!"

My entire body tenses up at the sound of a voice I know all too well by now. Without warning, Monokuma drops down from the ceiling, landing hard on his butt.

"Come on, while I do __love__ a challenge, I wouldn't want the game to be over just yet!" Junko's voice rings out clearly from the bear's mouth. "What would be the fun in letting myself get caught so soon?"

"Junko!" Mukuro steps forward towards the bear. "That's a bold-faced lie if I ever heard one! How would you be able to control Monokuma without being in that room!?"

"Jeez sis, get with the times! I'm using a VR headset and a gamepad… though, to be honest? Controlling this thing like this is such a pain! I can barely get it to move right!"

As if to prove her point, Monokuma does a jittery little twirl, almost falling over in the process.

"See!? This piece of shit won't respond at all!" Junko sounds angry for a moment, but then sighs. "Yeah, so. This will be the last time any of you see this guy move. I only rigged this one to be remote controlled anyways, so…"

"It's gonna be the last time we see that thing's ugly mug for more reasons than one!" Leon points a finger at the bear. "We're coming for you, Enoshima! We're gonna smoke you out of whatever hole you're hiding in, and we're going to force you to-"

"I'm in the trial room!"

We're all stunned to silence. The declaration was so sudden, so happily given… I almost can't believe my ears.

"Hey now, why so surprised? What's the point in delaying the show?!" Junko's voice is manic; I can just imagine the twisted smile she has plastered on her face. "Don't you see? This round is almost over, and it's proven to be the best round yet! I'm shaking, I'm in __ecstasy__ over the thought of the sweet, boundless despair you lot are about to experience! I can't wait any more...!"

"H-Hang on!" Hiro takes a step back from the bear, clearly upset. "How do we know it ain't a trap, huh!? That's total bullshit! I'm not going anywhere you tell us to!"

"Oh?" Junko giggles. "Oh oh? Come on Hiro, where's your adventurer's spirit!? You're practically stepping on the final boss' toes, and you're gonna run away and hide? Well, whatever…"

Monokuma shakily walks to the center of the room, and promptly sits down in the middle of the floor.

"Listen well, wayward travelers!" Monokuma is speaking in his own voice now, jerkily swaying his head back and forth from his place on the ground. "Though you have managed to slay me, your battle is not yet done! The queen is happily awaiting your arrival in the deepest part of the castle! Make haste to her location, so that you may finally experience the deepest, blackest despair imaginable!"

"Everyone!" Chihiro's voice chimes through the microphone… though with a much more staticy quality. It must be Alter Ego. "Great news! Master has successfully disabled the Monokuma control center!"

"Ah, the horror! My brothers in arms, all dead! The army is in ruins!" Monokuma flops backwards onto the floor, putting his paw to his forehead in a dramatic gesture. "My death shall not be in vain, however! I shall avenge my brothers with my dying breath! I'll see to it myself that you never make it to the final battle!"

I almost want to start jeering at the robot for the cheesy RPG routine, but any snarky retort I had dies in my throat when I hear an unmistakable beeping erupt from the robot.

"For the glory of Queen Junko, Empress of Despair!"

"No!" I scream. "Everyone, get ba-"

* * *

Chihiro's P.o.V.:

"What the heck was that!?"

I whip my gaze back to Jack, whose standing in the doorway to the Monokuma control room. She looks extremely panicked.

"I-It sounded like an explosion…!" I heave myself out of the chair with my good leg, using a monitor to balance myself. "B-But how!? We just disabled Monokuma!"

"Don't know, don't care!" Jack rushes over and scoops me up. "Hang on tight, little Chalupa! I need to make sure my OTP isn't in OTPieces!"

As she rockets out of the room, I cling to her neck and do my best to keep myself from screaming. Not because I'm being carted around by a serial killer like last time, but because of the sheer __panic__ I feel bubbling up inside me.

Two flights of stairs cleared, then three. As soon as we hit the bottom floor, my heart sinks.

My head swims.

"Oh my **god...**!"

The hallway wall parallel to the infirmary has a massive hole in it… but that isn't what makes Jack stop dead in her tracks.

Body parts. Charred flesh.

A person, tossed on the floor like a broken rag doll… with half of their body missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, we're all caught up to FF.net on this story! I'll update both of them at the same time once I'm finished with the newest chapter, so make sure to keep an eye out if you're interested!


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